Support The Moscow Times!

Air Traveler Detained for Saying He Had Bomb in Pocket

A passenger was detained at a Far East airport on Tuesday after threatening to set off a bomb on an airplane and then telling police that he was just checking their vigilance.

The male passenger, 52, a resident of the Kamchatka region who was not identified, faces a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($6,440) or up to three years in prison on charges of making an intentionally false report about a terrorist attack.

The man told airport security guards who were examining him with metal detectors as part of the procedure to check him on board a local flight that he had a bomb in his pocket that he intended to detonate aboard the plane, Interfax reported.

He was preparing to board a flight between the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and Ozernovsky village, the report said, without identifying the airline or how many other passengers were on the flight.

After his statement, the other passengers were quickly boarded and airport personnel were evacuated from the screening area. The man was then inspected by a bomb expert and a sniffer dog, but no bomb was found on him.

The man subsequently told the authorities that he was just testing their vigilance.

The man was taken into custody.

Related articles:

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more