WASHINGTON D.C. (27 June 2007) -- In the latest move to counter the potential threat of scuba diving terrorists, the FBI has advised the dive industry in the United States to be vigilant. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force alerted dive shops and scuba diving instructors throughout America to watch for divers that do not fit the typical profile of a recreational scuba diver. Describing the action as routine and unrelated to any specific threat, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the advisory asked scuba diving instructors to be aware of "odd inquiries inconsistent with recreational diving" such as advanced navigation techniques, diving in extremely limited visibility, deep diving and the use of underwater vehicles. "It would definitely stand out," said NAUI's Ken Loyst who estimated there are about 1,800 scuba diving shops in the United States. "Most instructors would take it upon themselves to call somebody and say, 'There's a weird guy in my class."' In addition to "odd inquiries", the FBI advisory alerted scuba diving instructors to be on the lookout for "...applicants from countries where diving is not a common recreational activity...and training sponsored by religious organizations, cults, charities and other groups not usually associated with diving." In May 2002, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors - PADI - a California-based company that sells diver certification courses and sports apparel, voluntarily sent a disk to the FBI containing the names, addresses and other personal information of more than 2 million people who had learned to scuba diving in the United States. | | In 2003, Dutch and U.S. investigators tracked down several suspected Islamic extremists who were training at a PADI dive center in the Netherlands. In the past, captured Al Qaeda operatives have revealed plans to utilize trained scuba divers to attack ships. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba ForumCDNN Related NewsCALIFORNIA - Thanks to PADI, the FBI Is Spying on YouCALIFORNIA - Data mining scuba diversNETHERLANDS - Fears Persist of Al Qaeda Terrorist Link to PADI Dive Center |
