Singapore: 22-Year-Old Man to be Charged for Making Bomb Hoax Leading to Aircraft Being Recalled at Changi Airport
A 22-year-old man will be charged on Thursday, June 5, with a bomb hoax he allegedly committed while on a flight departing Changi Airport.
The police said that they were informed about a social media post containing a threat to blow up an aircraft on February 14, at around 7.20 pm.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release on Wednesday that after follow-up investigations, officers from the Airport Police Division have established the identity of the man within an hour of the post and confirmed that he was on a flight bound for Abu Dhabi.
"The aircraft, which was already taxiing on the runway and about to take off, was recalled to Changi Airport Terminal 2, where the man was subsequently arrested," the authorities added.
Investigations found that he allegedly stated "no one here knows I'm going to blow the plane up" on his social media account after boarding the plane.
The police stated, "The man was found to have no means to carry out his threat, as no threat items were discovered in his possession." However, the police didn't identify the man's nationality.
The man will be charged with giving false information about a hazardous thing under Section 268A of the Penal Code. The offense attracts a maximum seven-year prison sentence, a fine of up to S$50,000, or both.
The police stated they take all security concerns seriously and will not hesitate to take action against anyone who incites public fear with fake threats.
Commander of Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi said, "The safety and security of passengers and airport staff, are our top priority."
She added, "Beyond fear and inconvenience caused, the making of false threats, especially relating to airport and airline operations, involves significant public resources that have to be deployed to deal with the incident.
"All security threats will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be tracked down and prosecuted," ACP concluded.
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