British officials help US probe airline bomb suspect

LONDON - British police said Saturday they were helping their US colleagues in the investigations into the would-be airline bomber who tried to explode a device on a Northwest Airlines plane to Detroit the day before.

“We are working closely together with the US officials,” a police spokeswoman said regarding the investigation into the Nigerian suspect whom reports said is a mechanical engineering student at University College London.

Media reports have cited US federal officials as having identified the man as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23. But British police declined to confirm that identity, citing ongoing investigations.

British reports said the suspect allegedly received a mixture of powder and liquid in Yemen. He travelled from there back to his home country, Nigeria and then from Lagos flew to Amsterdam on board a Dutch KLM airline plane.

At Schiphol airport, the Nigerian man then boarded the Northwest Airlines flight 253 to Detroit.

He tried to set off an explosion while the plane was making its landing approach in Detroit but was overpowered by other passengers.