Man who said ‘bomb’ held at Kota Kinabalu airport

Airport staff member hears passenger's remark when he is checking in his luggage and reports him to police.

KOTA KINABALU: Police arrested a man at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here today after he said there was a bomb in the luggage he was checking in.

Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP M Chandra said the 40-year-old man was arrested at 8.03am after a Malaysia Airlines Berhad staff member, who heard what he had said, lodged a report at the airport police station.

The Sarawakian, who had permanent resident status in Brunei Darussalam, had said “bomb” when the MAS staff asked him whether he had any hazardous material in the luggage he was checking in, he said in a statement.

However, a police inspection found no unauthorised material in the luggage of the man who was flying to Bandar Seri Begawan, he said.

Chandra said the man was taken to the Sabah police central lock-up and would be investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.