Security officials there, say a leading al-Qaida militant in Yemen, who surrendered to Saudi Arabia, provided information that helped thwart the plot to ship explosive devices, to the US via air cargo.

Jabir alfayfi, a Saudi militant who had joined al-Qaida in Yemen, but handed himself over to authorities in late September, told Saudi officials about the plan. US officials have said an alert from Saudi Arabia, led to the interception.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has strengthened security checks at Dubai's international airport, after the attempts to mail bombs to the United States. A security official said, the emirates are sharing the bomb part's serial numbers, with the United States, Yemen and other countries involved in the probe--- in an effort to track the origins of the bomb.