Man questioned in airport scare

MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- A man previously convicted in an aircraft incident is being questioned in the discovery of a suspicious package at Miami International Airport, authorities say.

A Transportation Security Administration officer detected a metal canister resembling a pipe bomb in luggage belonging to a passenger on a flight from Brazil Thursday evening, resulting in the evacuation of four terminals for about 7 hours, CNN said Friday.

The man detained is a scientist who spent time in prison for illegally transporting vials of bubonic plague nearly a decade ago, CNN said, adding the man's name wasn't disclosed because he had not been charged.

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Nicholas Kimball said the canister "tested negative for explosives" and that additional tests are being done "for other contaminants."

The evacuation was ordered about 9:30 p.m. Thursday and normal airport operations resumed about 4:30 a.m. Friday.