Narrative:

Prior to the flight; a fam asked to speak with me about this flight. He informed me that he and his partner had been tracking a group of individuals who appeared to be acting very suspiciously. Their behavior in the terminal was suspicious and they all changed their seats to window seats. The fam's concern was for explosives and suggested getting the bomb dogs out here to check it out. I agreed with his assessment and contacted dispatch for assistance. I asked dispatch to contact corporate security with the seat numbers of the suspicious passenger; and also for assistance in getting the bomb dogs to the gate. After this; the ZZZ police; the fam and I discussed the situation. The ZZZ police agreed to send the bomb dogs to the gate. At this time I was informed that a person carrying firearms checked in. I asked him to introduce himself to the fam. The ZZZ police then joined the fam; the fam supervisor; the person carrying firearms; and me with credentials from some of the passenger in question. He produced a poor quality copy of a letter from the foreign office of us govt stating these people were part of a law enforcement detail attending training in the united states. Both the fam and I questioned the validity of this letter. It looked like something I could have created on a word processor. The person carrying firearms and the fam supervisor made phone calls to verify the validity of this letter. After talking with the issuing office; it was determined that this letter was indeed valid. Corporate security came back with no adverse information on these people as well. The bomb dogs found no evidence of bomb material in the gate room or the aircraft. After discussing this information with the fam; fam supervisor; ground security; person carrying firearms; and the ZZZ police; we all were satisfied these people represented no security threat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY BY A GROUP OF PAX PRIOR TO BOARDING AROUSES THE ATTENTION OF FAMS.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE FLT; A FAM ASKED TO SPEAK WITH ME ABOUT THIS FLT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE AND HIS PARTNER HAD BEEN TRACKING A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO APPEARED TO BE ACTING VERY SUSPICIOUSLY. THEIR BEHAVIOR IN THE TERMINAL WAS SUSPICIOUS AND THEY ALL CHANGED THEIR SEATS TO WINDOW SEATS. THE FAM'S CONCERN WAS FOR EXPLOSIVES AND SUGGESTED GETTING THE BOMB DOGS OUT HERE TO CHK IT OUT. I AGREED WITH HIS ASSESSMENT AND CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR ASSISTANCE. I ASKED DISPATCH TO CONTACT CORPORATE SECURITY WITH THE SEAT NUMBERS OF THE SUSPICIOUS PAX; AND ALSO FOR ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THE BOMB DOGS TO THE GATE. AFTER THIS; THE ZZZ POLICE; THE FAM AND I DISCUSSED THE SITUATION. THE ZZZ POLICE AGREED TO SEND THE BOMB DOGS TO THE GATE. AT THIS TIME I WAS INFORMED THAT A PERSON CARRYING FIREARMS CHKED IN. I ASKED HIM TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO THE FAM. THE ZZZ POLICE THEN JOINED THE FAM; THE FAM SUPVR; THE PERSON CARRYING FIREARMS; AND ME WITH CREDENTIALS FROM SOME OF THE PAX IN QUESTION. HE PRODUCED A POOR QUALITY COPY OF A LETTER FROM THE FOREIGN OFFICE OF US GOVT STATING THESE PEOPLE WERE PART OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT DETAIL ATTENDING TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES. BOTH THE FAM AND I QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THIS LETTER. IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING I COULD HAVE CREATED ON A WORD PROCESSOR. THE PERSON CARRYING FIREARMS AND THE FAM SUPVR MADE PHONE CALLS TO VERIFY THE VALIDITY OF THIS LETTER. AFTER TALKING WITH THE ISSUING OFFICE; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS LETTER WAS INDEED VALID. CORPORATE SECURITY CAME BACK WITH NO ADVERSE INFO ON THESE PEOPLE AS WELL. THE BOMB DOGS FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF BOMB MATERIAL IN THE GATE ROOM OR THE ACFT. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS INFO WITH THE FAM; FAM SUPVR; GND SECURITY; PERSON CARRYING FIREARMS; AND THE ZZZ POLICE; WE ALL WERE SATISFIED THESE PEOPLE REPRESENTED NO SECURITY THREAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.