Court shown 'plane spotter' notes

Some of the 14 suspects sit in court in Kalamata

KALAMATA, Greece -- British and Dutch "plane spotters" arrested for spying at a Greek airfield were carrying papers saying their hobby was illegal in Greece, their trial has heard.

The group of 14 -- 12 Britons and two Dutchmen -- are charged with obtaining state secrets at a Greek air base last November. Greece says they are spies -- they say they were pursuing their hobby.

On Thursday, on the second day of their trial, Greek Air Force Officer Nektarios Samaras, said the group had aroused suspicions before their arrest on November 8.

He said: "We had received information that this group was acting suspiciously during a visit to another base.

"We monitored their movements, we saw they had spread around the air base taking notes...and during their departure detained them."

When asked by defence lawyers if he knew that there was such a hobby as plane spotting, Samaras replied: "I didn't know that people did that sort of thing."

Samaras, a squadron-leader, said their actions could have endangered the security of the country and that they were arrested because they were spotted acting suspiciously at different military air bases.

Notebooks, camera equipment, a scanner and other equipment was seized from them and shown in court.

Samaras said print-outs from a Dutch Web site were among the confiscated items.

Reading from a print-out allegedly found on at least one of the spotters, he said: "It says Greece is an ideal place for plane spotters but unfortunately you are not allowed to take photographs, and taking the numbers of aircraft is a criminal offence.

"It is taken very seriously so be aware of the dangers when you decide to go to the land of the blue seas, Greece."

Samaras said the Kalamata air base was warned that the group was arrested and released at another military airfield, Tanagra, and to be vigilant.

"We had an order to be on our guard because some suspicious people were coming but we are always ready and always alert," he said.

Briton Paul Coppin organised the trip and is one of the accused

"Our country is a country that could be in danger and we have been especially trained because our country is very vulnerable, and all security measures were higher because of the bombing of the twin towers (the World Trade Center) which had recently taken place."

The group had been allowed onto the air bases because Greece was celebrating air force day, when civilians are allowed to go onto the airfields and see some of the planes.

But Samaras said the spotters could not have seen all the planes they recorded from the public areas, and must have used "other measures" to see them.

The spotters admit taking notes of the numbers of planes, but deny using a scanner which they had with them, which can monitor frequencies used by airports and pilots.

They also deny taking any photographs at Kalamata and insist they were plane spotters pursuing their hobby, and not spies.

Asked if he could understand the group taking notes as part of their hobby, he said: "I don't understand."

He conceded most of the information the group had gathered was already available in books and on the Internet, but added: "Just because someone has managed to spread it round the world does not mean we don't consider it classified."

The case sparked international outrage last year when the group were held in prison for almost six weeks before being allowed to return home on bail.

They all deny espionage, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a hefty fine.

They were originally charged with planning to pass the information on to an enemy of Greece, which carried a maximum prison sentence of 25 years but that was later reduced to a "misdemeanour" charge of espionage.

The trial continues.