SINGAPORE, June 6 — A man who allegedly made a false bomb threat while on a flight at Changi Airport has been charged with communicating false information, authorities said yesterday.
Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that Azim Shah Abubakar Shah is accused of posting a message on Instagram Stories stating, “no one here knows I’m going to blow the plane up”, shortly after boarding an Etihad Airways aircraft on the evening of February 14.
According to court documents, the post was visible to 16 users on the social media platform. The flight was scheduled to depart for Abu Dhabi and was already taxiing when the alert was raised.
Police said they were notified of the threat around 7.20pm and were able to identify Azim within an hour. The aircraft was recalled to Changi Airport Terminal 2, where Azim was arrested. No suspicious items were found on him, and he was determined to have no means to carry out any actual threat.
In court, Azim was represented by a lawyer. Prosecutors indicated they would consider reducing the charge to one under the Protection from Harassment Act, which carries lighter penalties, but Azim did not enter a plea. His case is scheduled to return to court on July 3.
If convicted of the original charge of communicating false information about a bomb threat, Azim faces up to seven years in jail, a fine of up to S$50,000 (RM211,534), or both.
