An Australian man allegedly made repeated bomb threats whilst on a Scoot flight bound for Perth, which resulted in the plane being escorted back to Singapore by two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft.
Said "bomb" repeatedly
Hawkins Kevin Francis, 30, was a passenger onboard Scoot flight TR16 on Oct. 12.
The plane was mid-flight when he allegedly told a cabin crew member "I have a bomb" at around 4:30pm, The Straits Times reported.
Francis also repeatedly said the word "bomb" to another crew member.
Forced plane to turn back
According to the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) Oct. 14 statement, the police were alerted to the alleged bomb threat case at about 4:55pm.
Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter aircraft responded to the threat and escorted the plane, which made an emergency return to Singapore.
@wjtakesphoto Just glad the aircraft landed safely 🙏🏻 #fyp #foryou #thersaf #scoot #787 #dreamliner #avgeek #singapore #tiktoksg ♬ Interstellar (Main Theme) - Random Piano
The plane landed safely at Changi Airport at about 6:26pm.
Officers from the Airport Police Division and Special Operations Command’s K-9 Unit were mobilised to investigate the bomb threat.
The bomb threat was subsequently found to be false.
Arrested and charged
As a result of the additional security measures implemented to ensure the safety of all persons on board, the nine crew members and 362 passengers disembarked in Singapore at around 9:19pm.
The flight subsequently departed Singapore to Perth at 11:41pm.
The police arrested Francis for his alleged involvement in the incident.
On Oct. 14, he was charged with making false threats of terrorist acts, CNA reported.
He was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 27, 2023.
Under the Tokyo Convention Act 1971, if a crime takes place on a Singapore-controlled aircraft flying outside of the country, the offender can be charged with the offence under Singapore laws.
If convicted, Francis may face a fine up to S$500,000, a jail term of up to 10 years, or both.
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