Two Chinese tourists allegedly threatened an airline by claiming there was a bomb on board after a dispute over seat changes.
The 28-year-old woman and her 29-year-old male companion reportedly first contacted a travel agent to switch their seats but received no response. They then emailed the airline’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, claiming a bomb was on the flight scheduled from Tawau Airport to Kota Kinabalu.
Tawau District Police Chief, Asst. Comm. Jasmin Hussin, said the airline staff reported the threat at 3 p.m. Police promptly detained the couple and brought them to the Tawau District Police Headquarters for further investigation.
A magistrate has granted a four-day remand until 27 September to facilitate the investigation. The case is being probed under Section 506 and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation, as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The couple had been on holiday in Semporna and were scheduled to fly to Kota Kinabalu later today.
