Ferry boat captain calls police after spotting man described as wearing "boxes" with "wires taped to his leg and forehead."
By JPOST.COM STAFFtefillin 311(photo credit: AP)
An Israeli tourist visiting New Zealand caused a minor panic on a New Zealand ferry on Sunday after the captain reported to police that a passenger was carrying a "suspicious article," NZTV reported.Some media in New Zealand even reported a hostage situation aboard the ferry, even though the passenger was cooperative with police, according to the report.RELATED:US flight diverted after tefillin causes bomb scareBan on ritual poultry slaughter nixed in New ZealandThe man was described as wearing what appeared to be "boxes" with "wires taped" to his body. "One individuals had two boxes attached, one box taped to his leg and one box seemingly taped to his forehead," a transportation services spokesman was quoted as saying in the report.Jewish websites described the man as having worn his tefillin (phylacteries) on the morning ferry voyage.He was stopped by police at the ferry's destination after it finished crossing the Cook Strait and was released by the police without being charged.
