Posted on: Thursday, April 24, 2003

Threats divert ship from Hilo

Associated Press

A Hilo-bound cruise ship was diverted to Honolulu yesterday after two threatening notes were found in a ladies restroom, the FBI said.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas was diverted and officials from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force boarded to investigate.

The two anonymous handwritten notes contained vague threats against the ship, its passengers and its crew, said Daniel Dzwilewski, of the FBI's Honolulu office. They were found separately by a passenger and a maintenance staff member sometime late Tuesday while the ship was en route from Ensenada, Mexico.

Officials said the letters did not specify the potential methods the writer planned to use to carry out the threats.

Security sweeps for bombs or other threats were under way yesterday. The ship was anchored about a mile off Sand Island.