Australian national fined $2000 for fake bomb threat

A 33-year-old ship officer from Australia who pleaded guilty to the charge of Threats and False Statement Respecting Aircraft has been fined $2,000.

The Resident Magistrates Court in Nadi was told that on Tuesday Swarup Das made a threat and false statement to Air Terminal service passenger agent Martha Tuilakepa that he has a bomb and it is going to ignite, knowing such communication was fake and would cause inconvenience to people about to travel in the flight bound for Sydney.

While sentencing him Resident Magistrate Mohamed Azhar highlighted that though Das took it as a joke it is indiscriminate threat to everyone.

He told the man that he cannot expect the person who heard his representation to take it as a joke, because he or she will be held liable if anything happens on the air.

In default he will be sent to prison for three months.