Kawan Tambunan, 48, and Wahyuningsih, 47, were arrested and charged in court today for criminal intimidation that resulted in Kawan having to pay a RM1,000 fine.

After boarding the aircraft at 5.55pm at the Penang International Airport, the couple told a flight attendant they had a bomb in their hand luggage that they refused to place in the overhead compartment, Penang Southwest District Police Chief Supt Anuar Omar said.

The fight attendant alerted the airport authorities and the police arrested the couple, he said.

“We believe the bomb scare was just a joke and police checks revealed that the bag only contained medical supplies for a heart condition. It had nothing to do with a terrorist threat,” he told a press conference today.

Kawan and Wahyuningsih were charged in the Balik Pulau court today under Section 506 of the Penal Code and Section 10(3) of the Aviation Act. They pleaded guilty and Kawan was fined RM1,000.

Anuar said police have confiscated the couple’s passports and all of their belongings for further investigation.

“We want people to know that causing a bomb scare at the airport, especially on a flight, is a serious offence as we are currently facing a lot of threats, especially from terrorists like Islamic State,” he said.

Anuar added that it was the third bomb scare at the airport this year, and all the offences were committed by Indonesians.