US man brings live bullets on board in South Korea

INCHEON (SOUTH KOREA) : South Korean police on Tuesday requested a warrant to apprehend an elderly US man accused of bringing two live bullets on a Korean Air aeroplane, South Korean News Agency Yonhap reported.

The two 9-millimetre pistol bullets were found on the plane bound for Manila on March 10 before takeoff from Incheon International Airport, grounding the aircraft and causing more than 200 passengers to be evacuated.

Yonhap reported that after looking into CCTV footage and airport security X-ray photos, the police tracked down the suspect, an American in his 70s, responsible for the bullets and requested a court warrant Monday to detain him, officials said.

The court is expected to decide whether to grant the warrant on Tuesday.

Records show the American flew in from Las Vegas and left for the Philippines when the bullets were found. Police plan to seek cooperation from Interpol to detain him.

Police have also booked an airport security screening officer on charges of failing to identify the bullets during the screening process.

Gun possession is illegal in South Korea, except for licensed sporting and hunting guns, which must be stored at a police station.