A 19-year-old Saudi man allegedly posing as a pilot was detained at Manila's airport after he breached security and spent several hours wandering in the terminal's restricted area, officials said Tuesday. The man told investigators he wanted to meet his father, who was flying in from Saudi Arabia to visit him in Manila, said airport immigration supervisor Theodore Pascual.

"It's a breach of security," Alfonso Cusi, Manila airport general manager, told The Associated Press. "We consider him to be a security threat, so we are taking action from there." Wearing a pilot's uniform, Hany Abdulelah Bukhari went through security checks at the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, then walked over into the arrivals area one floor below, Pascual said.

He was approaching an immigration lane reserved for arriving airline crew when a security officer became suspicious and demanded to see his pilot's ID. Bukhari presented a document that identified him as a dependent of a Saudi Airlines' employee, Pascual said. Bukhari is facing charges of misrepresentation and will be deported, Cusi said, adding investigators were working to find out more about him and his intentions.

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Terrorists, Crooks Allowed to Keep FAA Pilot's Licenses

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has asked the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Inspector General to investigate why suspect individuals – including terrorists and drug kingpins – have been able to retain their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot's licenses. In a letter to DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner, the senators cited media reports, including an ABC News investigation, that questioned the ability of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to purge the FAA's aviation list of individuals posing a threat to transportation security.

In one high-profile case a well-known drug boss named Fernando Zevallos Gonzalez was able to keep his U.S. aviation license despite being on a "black list" of foreign drug kingpins since 2004. Two other men tied to drug trafficking and two convicted arms traffickers still had their licenses as of Oct. The New York Times revealed that individuals charged or convicted of terrorism-related crimes were also able to retain their FAA licenses. While some of the individuals named in the ABC News and Times reports have since been stripped of their licenses, others have not, according to Safe Banking Systems (SBS), the New York computer security firm that first uncovered the suspect cases.

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Targeting of aircraft with laser beams a growing problem

A pair of Canadian business jets were hit with high-powered green lasers as they approached Casper-Natrona County International Airport during separate events in August. According to the sources, green-colored lasers were shined into the cockpits of both Canadian planes around 10 p.m. on separate nights. Officials did not want to specify the exact dates at this time. Both pilots were directed to contact the FBI in Casper. At least one of the pilots was deeply shaken by the event and vowed to not fly back into Casper if his craft was lased again.

Federal authorities recognize lasing of aircraft is an increasingly serious problem. The focused beams of lasers remain powerful at long distances and can expose pilots to dangerous radiation. Lasers can bring down aircraft, according to warnings issued by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The reports point out that simple laser pointers available at office supply stores don’t have the power, nor can they be controlled well enough to target fast-moving business or commercial jetliners. The Federal Aviation Administration reported earlier this year that at least 148 laser attacks were carried out during a 2-month period against commercial craft landing at Seattle-Tacoma airport.

Studies show that military grade hardware is designed for the purpose of disrupting cockpit crews or damaging the eyesight of military forces on a battlefield. The military equipment is also used against troops wearing night vision equipment. The Chinese-made military laser, the ZM 87, has an effective range of 10 kilometers, or more than six miles.

Previously published official reports say that none of the military hardware is easily obtainable since it is protected by the owner governments; is very expensive; and is large enough to be used on tanks or aboard warships. The reports add, however, that for a few thousand dollars a terrorist could acquire lasers used in outdoor light shows.

This kind of attack on aircraft is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Recently a 19 year old from England was sentenced to six months jail for shining a laser beam at police helicopter.

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