A man with an alarming watch was arrested at Oakland International Airport because security believe it contained bomb-making materials and could be used as a timing device.
Geoffrey McGann, a 49-year old man from the Los Angeles suburbs, was taken into custody after he tried to board a plane on Thursday with a watch that contained switches, wires and fuses, making security believe it was a device that could be used for a terrorist attack, according to the Associated Press.
The TSA became suspicious of McGann and the device when he tried to hide it under a jacket when he put it through a security bin, but that wasn't the only suspicious thing about the man.
"He was wearing a military style shirt that has a built-in tourniquet in the sleeves," Alameda County Sheriff's Sergeant J.D. Nelson said, according to the Daily Mail.
McGann also had on shoes that were too big for him and were packed with several layers of insoles. The 2001 shoe bomber, Richard Reid wore similar shoes which contained an explosive device.
A bomb squad arrived at the scene within minutes and found that McGann's watch did not contain explosive materials. He told the TSA that he's an artist and his watch was a piece of art.
According to his professional profile on LinkedIn, he did attend the Art College Center of Design in Pasadena from 1984 to 1987. He currently works as the owner and creative director of a media production company called Generator Content.
Even though it was found that he didn't have actual explosives on him, McGann was taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin where he was charged with possessing materials to make an explosive device.
Police believe than McGann may have been testing out the airport security system in preparation of a future attack.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
