Hair removal device generates bomb alert and empties Australian airport
An airport in Australia delayed several flights and was hastily evacuated, this Thursday (21), because of a laser hair removal device, which, in the X-ray images, resembled a possible bomb.
The case took place at Avalon Airport, in the metropolitan region of Melbourne, one of the largest cities in the country.
According to information from 7News, a CNN affiliate in Australia, the chaos began at 5:47 am, when a passenger checked in for a flight to Sydney. Acting Inspector Nick Uebergang said security checked the luggage and found an item they considered suspected to be explosives.
The police were called and sent bomb disposal robots to assess the threat while the terminal was evacuated and the passenger was searched. The entire airport halted operations, with hundreds of passengers trapped in their cars amid temperatures as low as 8ºC.
An airport in Australia delayed several flights and was hastily evacuated, this Thursday (21), because of a laser hair removal device, which, in the X-ray images, resembled a possible bomb. The case took place at Avalon Airport, in the metropolitan region of Melbourne, one of the largest cities in the country. - 7News / Reproduction
"If they find a bomb inside, I'd rather be sitting here than on a plane," a passenger told 7News.
More than four hours later, the suspected passenger was released and his belongings were identified.
According to the acting inspector, "there was a laser hair removal device and a container for hot chocolate [powdered]."
When passengers were told it was a hair removal device, they responded to the CNN affiliate: "Oh, you're kidding."
The owner of the device spoke out about what happened. "They did a strip search on me and then tried to touch my cell phone. One of the police officers was swearing at me the whole time, in the first five minutes," he said.
According to 7News, the police defended their actions in the case: "It's also fair to say that the person who had the bag probably wasn't very cooperative with us."
"I will not provide any more information than I am legally required to provide," said the passenger.
7News also reported that the potential bomb threat occurred due to the shape of the two items when placed together. The container of powdered hot chocolate and the hair removal device were in the same bag and the combination of electronic components next to the compacted powder raised suspicions in the X-ray operation.
The airport thanked the police for their handling of the incident. "Today's response demonstrates the vigilance of screening and security processes, with preventative measures taken immediately to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and the wider community, which will always be our highest priority," Avalon Airport said.
Turbulence on flights may become more frequent; understand
Source: CNN