Suspect passed through Dutch airport

Dutch authorities said on Saturday that the man who tried to blow up the intercontinental flight had passed through airport security in Lagos, Nigeria, before boarding a connecting route from the Netherlands.

The Dutch counter-terrorism agency says the suspect, Abdul Mutallab, first got on a KLM plane from Lagos to Amsterdam. He then connected with Northwest Flight 253, owned by Delta Airlines, to Detroit.

In Amsterdam, the would be bomber went through a security checkpoint at Schiphol Airport without a hitch.

The agency says it can't completely rule out the potential for dangerous items to be brought on board. Some objects remain difficult to detect with current security technology, such as metal detectors.

Luggage is transported at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday Dec. 26, 2009.(AP Photo/Evert Elzinga)