Naval Support Activity Naples policemen walk a handcuffed Italian truck driver away from his truck while it is searched for explosives. The man allegedly said something to a security guard that the officer interpreted as meaning there was a bomb on his truck. No explosives were found. (Jason Chudy / S&S)
An Italian truck driver was taken into custody by Naval Support Activity Naples security forces for a few hours Tuesday afternoon after he said something that military police officers interpreted to mean that he had a bomb in his truck, a base official said.
Within 10 minutes, security forces had evacuated the back gate area, including the main parking garage, child development center and pass and ID office.
Two military working dogs searched three tractor-trailer delivery trucks and their drivers without finding any explosives, said base spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jacky Fisher.
The suspect truck was the second of three trucks delivering equipment to the base air terminal.
The driver "said something to security that he interpreted to be that there was a bomb," she said, prompting the guards, Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Hitchcock and Petty Officer 3rd Class Francis Carmon to raise security barriers.
The driver, who was wearing a hooded sweat shirt, had his hands cuffed behind his back by two security policemen and was walked from the back Capodichino gate around 4:40 p.m. He did not resist.
Another driver was allowed to drive the truck to the air terminal to unload its equipment after it was determined that there were no explosives on board.
Officials re-opened the back gate and closed facilities shortly after 5 p.m.
The driver, who didn't speak English, was held by base security, questioned by Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents and Italian police, then released without being charged about two hours later.
