[Mrluvaluva]

A security alert was caused at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, when an Iraqi national was found during pre-flight security checks to have a magnet wrapped in wires concealed up his bottom.

The bomb squad was called in after the man triggered an alarm, and then the objects were found during a body cavity search.

However, it was eventually decided that that man – identified as New Jersey resident Fadhel al-Maliki – posed no threat with his rectal magnet. He was, however, held for questioning by immigration officials and for mental evaluation.

LAX area paper The Daily Breeze reports that the objects found up al-Maliki's rear included a magnet wrapped in a napkin with a piece of chewing gum, and then wrapped with wires, and what is described as 'some kind of round, polished stone.'

The flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia that al-Maliki was supposed to board left without him, although his luggage did get to make the trip.

Larry Fetters, security director for the Transportation Security Administration at LAX, said: 'He was secreting these items in a body cavity and that was a great concern because there were also some electric wires associated with that body cavity.'

Why al-Maliki had the items in his rectum is less, clear, although the Daily Breeze suggests that he claimed they were of therapeutic value. FBI agent Ethel McGuire told them, 'I believe we're about as confused as you until we finish the investigation.'