Reply #82: ... Ronald G. Smith, chief U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in the Detroit area, sent an

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to The Detroit News late Thursday apologizing that the information on the passenger -- which was reported to federal investigators by a pair of Taylor attorneys who were passengers on the flight -- was not made available earlier ...

In previous interviews Smith said the Haskells' account was a composite of two events that occurred at the airport around the time passengers got off Flight 253 ...

• A man from another flight -- Northwest Flight 249, also from Amsterdam -- was arrested at the jetway as he got off his flight and would have been led handcuffed through the area where the Flight 253 passengers were gathered, Smith said. The name of the man was not released, Smith added, because he was arrested on suspicion of immigration violations, not on a criminal matter.

• A sniffer dog reacted to agricultural or food products inside the bag of a third man ... Smith said. He was questioned and may have had some items confiscated but was not arrested, Smith said ...

Last Updated: January 01. 2010 4:37PM
Customs official confirms report of 2nd man held from Flight 253
Jennifer Chambers and Paul Egan / The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100101/NATION/1010405/1410/METRO01/Customs-official-confirms-report-of-2nd-man-held-from-Flight-253