scuba_katt
Contributor
Found this article in today's Sydney Morning Herald
"New Zealand police investigate disappearing diving students
December 30 2002
New Zealand police are investigating three Middle Eastern men who enrolled in a diving course that would have taught them how to use explosives.
The three signed up for a commercial diving course in Hamilton but, after paying $NZ8000 ($7470) each, two of them failed to show up, the Sunday Star-Times reported.
The other man attended only the first session, and none of the three has since tried to get his money back.
The incident has prompted fears that terrorists could be trying to learn how to carry out underwater attacks.
New Zealand police confirmed that they were conducting a national investigation into the incident, which occurred about six months ago.
Alan Strong, owner of Hamilton's Dive HQ, said he had notified police about the three men, but said officers missed the chance to seize closed circuit television footage of them because they did not follow up the matter until weeks later.
The diving school's cameras automatically tape over their security footage at the start of each month.
"I do not know if they were terrorists, but to have these three Middle Eastern guys, and then they never come back for their money, is not a New Zealand thing at all. It was unusual," Mr Strong said.
"They had no diving experience at all so we enrolled them on a three-month learners' course.
"The one that did turn up rang the next week and said he had broken his leg and arm but we've never heard from them since."
Dave Moran, editor of Dive New Zealand magazine, said he believed terrorists might be training for a possible strike.
He said that the FBI had been collecting details of all scuba students from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors for the past three years.
"They seem to be very worried about some underwater attack on bridges or oil rigs, and the FBI is looking at this sort of terrorism and an underwater threat."
New Zealand police yesterday declined to give further details of the investigation, but said it was continuing.
"We are talking to some people who enrolled in a dive course," a police spokeswoman, Susan Milner, told the New Zealand Press Association.
The police might issue a statement on the investigation today, she said."
Did anyone in NZ hear about this?
"New Zealand police investigate disappearing diving students
December 30 2002
New Zealand police are investigating three Middle Eastern men who enrolled in a diving course that would have taught them how to use explosives.
The three signed up for a commercial diving course in Hamilton but, after paying $NZ8000 ($7470) each, two of them failed to show up, the Sunday Star-Times reported.
The other man attended only the first session, and none of the three has since tried to get his money back.
The incident has prompted fears that terrorists could be trying to learn how to carry out underwater attacks.
New Zealand police confirmed that they were conducting a national investigation into the incident, which occurred about six months ago.
Alan Strong, owner of Hamilton's Dive HQ, said he had notified police about the three men, but said officers missed the chance to seize closed circuit television footage of them because they did not follow up the matter until weeks later.
The diving school's cameras automatically tape over their security footage at the start of each month.
"I do not know if they were terrorists, but to have these three Middle Eastern guys, and then they never come back for their money, is not a New Zealand thing at all. It was unusual," Mr Strong said.
"They had no diving experience at all so we enrolled them on a three-month learners' course.
"The one that did turn up rang the next week and said he had broken his leg and arm but we've never heard from them since."
Dave Moran, editor of Dive New Zealand magazine, said he believed terrorists might be training for a possible strike.
He said that the FBI had been collecting details of all scuba students from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors for the past three years.
"They seem to be very worried about some underwater attack on bridges or oil rigs, and the FBI is looking at this sort of terrorism and an underwater threat."
New Zealand police yesterday declined to give further details of the investigation, but said it was continuing.
"We are talking to some people who enrolled in a dive course," a police spokeswoman, Susan Milner, told the New Zealand Press Association.
The police might issue a statement on the investigation today, she said."
Did anyone in NZ hear about this?
