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Breaking News

Suspicious Device Being Examined in Port of Miami

Aired August 08, 2002 - 14:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In the Miami area, at the Port of Miami, more specifically, this breaking story. Miami-Dade Police, as well as bomb squads are there because of a suspicious device that might be on board a ship that has pulled into the Port of Miami there.
Now we have Susan Candiotti who is on the telephone with us now who will perhaps -- Susan, you can enlighten us on a little bit more information of what this suspicious device is, and why you have got bomb squad and Miami-Dade police authorities there on the scene.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Fredricka.

Well, authorities are down here in order to try to find out exactly what the suspicious device is. They don't know either. The reason that the Miami-Dade police bomb squad was called in, according to authorities, is because they received a call from U.S. Customs who had begun -- we don't know how long ago -- an inspection of a ship that arrived, again, we don't know exactly when, from the Mideast.

The ship had just begun to undergo a routine customs inspection at the dock there at the Port of Miami when inspectors discovered, noticed, and had suspicions and called in some questions they had about this, what is described to me only as a "device" aboard the ship. So protectively, they called in the bomb squad assistance from the Miami-Dade Police Department, which has authority there at the Port of Miami.

And they are just about to arrive on the scene to begin to take a look at what exactly this device is.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're looking at live pictures right now Susan, from WSVN of investigators there on the scene, so we are still all awaiting information as to what more we can learn about this ship. All you are saying, we may know, is that it is a Middle Eastern ship, but a suspicious device that was found during a routine inspection.

CANDIOTTI: That's right. We know that the ship originated its journey in the Mideast. That is all we know about it, don't know the name of the vessel or exactly when it arrived at the Port of Miami. And also, just to be sure, at this time, police have decided to stop any additional traffic from going into -- arriving into the Port of Miami at this time.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right, thank you very much, Susan Candiotti from Miami joining us on the telephone there. You keep tabs on that, and of course, we'll be bringing you back if the information merits. Thank you.

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