A Mumbai-bound passenger was taken into police custody at the Cochin International Airport after he casually asked a security officer, in the middle of the routine X-ray check of his baggage, “Is there a bomb in my bag?”

Manoj Kumar, 42, was about to board Air India flight AI 682 to Mumbai when he asked a CISF officer the question that was bound to cause suspicion about him. The utterance through casual prompted an immediate response with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducting a detailed inspection of Manoj Kumar’s cabin and his baggage.

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Though no explosive was found in his baggage, Kumar was removed from the flight and handed over to local authorities for further questioning. The flight proceeded as per schedule.

Earlier on Wednesday, the police had arrested a person from the Kochi International Airport for making a similar threat.

The passenger identified as Prashant P S (45) irked officers during the security check and shouted at the staff, claiming he had a “bomb in his bag”.

The BTAC convened at Terminal 3 declared the threat as non-specific. However, due to the presence of co-passengers with the same booking reference number (family members), the committee directed that the Secondary Ladder Point Check (SLPC) and aircraft check be conducted after deplaning the passengers.

The flight, carrying 180 passengers, finally departed at 4:30 am, two-and-a-half hours behind schedule. Peasant was handed over to the police for further proceedings.

The accused, a resident of Manacaud in Thiruvananthapuram, was travelling to Bangkok with his wife, son, and four others. Following his arrest, his family stayed back, while the four others boarded the flight after their luggage was examined in detail.

The Nedumbassery Police lodged a case under section 118(b) of the KP Act, 2011 (knowingly spreading rumours or giving false alarms to mislead the police) and section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (offense of criminal intimidation). The accused was released on bail after claiming he was aware that his statement could affect the flight service and create a scare.

Airports treat any mention of threats, particularly words like “bomb” and “hijack,” with extreme seriousness. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security emphasizes that even joking about such threats can cause significant delays for all passengers and may result in fines. Making statements such as “I have a bomb in my bag” is considered a serious offense and is strictly prohibited by law.