John

A man accused of telling an airline worker at Logan International Airport that he was a member of al-Qaida and planned to "blow up things" pleaded not guilty Monday.

Ermiyas Asfaw, 27, was charged with making a false communication of an explosive device. He appeared in district court and bail was set at $1,500.

Asfaw was in the process of checking in for a flight Saturday night when he told an AirTran employee that he had explosives.

"I'm with al-Qaida. I'm with them and I'm here to blow up things," Asfaw said, according to Logan spokesman Phil Orlandella. Asfaw later told authorities he was only joking.

Asfaw had been checking in for a flight Saturday and became irritated when an airline employee asked about a tag on his luggage that indicated he had been to Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, prosecutors said.

(Newsday)

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