[url]http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372313,00.asp[/url]
[quote] In a predictable move, as part of a United States Homeland Security directive after the discovery of bombs hidden in laser toner cartridges aboard two airplanes in late October, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has banned the shipment of large ink and toner cartridges aboard overseas flights bound for the U.S. A statement today by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on new procedures in the wake of the bombing attempts includes the passage "…Toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces will be prohibited on passenger aircraft in both carry-on bags and checked bags on domestic and international flights in-bound to the United States…."
This ban won't have an effect on average travelers, few of whom would be transporting heavy toner cartridges, anyway. And it should have a minimal effect on the shipment of ink cartridges, few (if any) of which weigh anywhere near a pound. It will presumably affect the importing of laser printer supplies, however, as many laser toner cartridges weight well in excess of a pound.
The normally innocuous laser toner cartridge took on a nefarious significance for its role in the thwarted bomb plot made public on October 30. Yemen-based terrorists in Yemen had hidden powerful bombs within modified toner cartridges being shipped aboard airplanes. They were addressed to synagogues in Chicago, though the real targets were apparently the airplanes themselves, one a passenger flight and one a UPS cargo flight. After a tipoff and worldwide alert, both packages were found and safely defused. Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for sending the bombs.[/quote]
Thank god for this.