TOKYO -- There was nothing unusual about a man who boarded a flight in Osaka and was arrested after landing in Los Angeles wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying handcuffs, knives and a smoke grenade in his checked-in baggage, a Japanese official said Wednesday.
Masahiro Nakamoto, an immigration officer at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, said authorities reported nothing suspicious when the man, identified as 28-year-old Yongda Huang Harris, is believed to have boarded a flight.
"We didn't spot anyone who was jittery or sheepish during that time," Nakamoto said. "We usually don't stop someone unless they refuse to show their face, or is obviously violating Japanese law, like wielding a knife or something."
Nakamoto said arriving passengers are checked more closely than those leaving the country. He said he would stop an incoming passenger if he or she was acting or dressed strangely.
U.S. officials say Harris, a U.S. citizen bound for Boston, was arrested last Friday at Los Angeles airport and charged with transporting hazardous materials.
A Transport Ministry official said as of Wednesday the U.S. has not requested assistance. He said more details were needed, but stood by the security measures at Japan's airports.