This afternoon the alert of an alleged bomb was reported at the Arequipa airport, which generated panic among all the passengers on a plane. According to the Police, it all started when a subject claimed to have an explosive in his possession.
“A passenger on Latam flight 2104, according to the crew, was mentioning that he had a bomb. Then, the protocol was applied and the UDEX was called along with other agents… the plane that was about to depart had to park in a safe area and all the passengers were made to get off”, indicated General PNP Miguel Cayetano, head of the IX Macrepol Arequipa.
The PNP officer specified that the man confessed that everything was false. “Upon being arrested, the subject indicated that everything was false. In any case, the protocol was applied”, he added.
In addition, he explained that a large amount of drugs was found among the belongings of the aforementioned passenger. “Initially he was very quiet, but now he is detained at the police station. He already communicated to the Public Ministry”, he commented.
It is known that this person committed the crime against public health and will be detained for 48 hours for the proceedings. “It has already been ruled out, there is no bomb and the plane (to Lima) will leave in the next few hours. There is no bomb, we ask people to be calm”, he finished.
Latam statement
Latam airlines said in a statement that the passenger told a cabin crew member that he was carrying an explosive device, so it was decided to cancel the flight from Arequipa to Lima.
“Personnel from the Explosives Deactivation Unit (UDEX) exhaustively reviewed the plane and confirmed that it was a false alarm, thus freeing the aircraft to continue operating, which is why the flight was rescheduled.”, was added in the statement.
