MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) - Police at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Thursday held two departing Hong Kong police officers for not declaring slugs and bullet shells kept in their hand-carried baggage.

The Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) named one of the Hong Kong cops as Chief Inspector Li Kwai Wah.

The PNP-ASG said its members spotted bullets in the 2 Hong Kong police officers' hand-carried baggage at the initial X-ray section area of the airport.

The local airport policemen allowed Li and his companion to pass through because they were being escorted by a representative from the Chinese embassy, and they assumed that the Hong Kong police officers would declare the bullets before boarding their flight.

The Hong Kong police officers arrived at the NAIA around 10 a.m.. They were supposed to board Cathay Pacific Airlines flight CX 900 bound for Hong Kong at 11 a.m..

The PNP-ASG said that when Li and his companion failed to declare the bullet shells in his possession as he was about to check-in, the local airport policemen apprehended and escorted them to the airport's holding room.

Seized from the two Hong Kong police officers were 4 slugs and 4 empty shells of an M16 rifle, and 4 slugs and empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol.

The local police said Li failed to produce pertinent papers for the slugs and bullet shells, including a permit from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division.

Li and his companion were part of a team from Hong Kong sent to the Philippines to conduct their own forensic examination in connection with last week's hostage crisis in Manila's Rizal Park.

Hours after being held at the airport, the 2 Hong Kong police officer were allowed to board a 5 p.m. flight to Hong Kong.

This was after the arrival of Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar. He said that Hong Kong police officers' apprehension at the airport was a result of a misunderstanding.

Salazar said the Hong Kong forensic team was given authorization by the government to bring along with them evidences that have been cleared by the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police.

He said the slugs and bullet shells were used by the Hong Kong forensic team in test fires on the M16 assault rifle and .45 caliber pistol used by dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza.

"There was a misunderstanding. Mr. Li Kwai Wah, chief inspector from Hong Kong, was actually authorized to bring those shells to Hong Kong. During a meeting with Hong Kong authorities, pinayagan sila na mag-conduct ng test fire at mag-inspect ng bus (they were allowed to conduct test fire and inspect the bus)," Salazar said.

He said the Hong Kong forensic team will use the slugs and bullet shells in their own ballistic examination.

The Hong Kong team was also allowed to examine the tourist bus, where Hong Kong tourists were held hostage by the dismissed policeman.

The 12-hour hostage crisis ended in a bloodbath, with 8 Hong Kong tourists and the hostage-taker dead.

The Philippine police earlier claimed that bullets fired by the hostage-taker from his M16 assault rifle killed the tourists. – with a report from Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News