Talk about the existence of a bomb among luggage at an airport can be taken very seriously, even when in a joking tone. They can even result in arrest, as was the case with a passenger last weekend.
According to the PF (Federal Police), she was indicted for the crime of “exposing aircraft to danger or carrying out an act capable of preventing or hindering air navigation”.
The case occurred last Sunday afternoon (Oct 26) during the check-in procedure for two passengers. One of them reportedly said she had a bomb in her bag. “Immediately, an X-ray check and manual inspection of the luggage were carried out, and it was found that there were no explosive devices,” informed the PF about what happened in a note.
Given the seriousness of the statement and based on airport security protocols, the passengers were taken to the PF in the Federal District.
“One of the passengers was arrested red-handed and charged with a crime consisting of exposing the aircraft to danger or carrying out an act capable of preventing or hindering air navigation — conduct that represents a serious violation of air transport safety and can generate severe consequences in both the criminal and administrative spheres”, added the PF.
Protocols
Police chief and specialist in criminal law and public security, the director of Adepol (Association of Brazilian Police Chiefs), Raquel Gallinati, explains that, even in the form of a joke, statements like the one made by the passenger in Brasília trigger protocols that need to be followed, as they can indicate situations of concrete risk to safety and air transport.
A “joke”, according to the delegate, it ends up forcing authorities to interrupt procedures, in addition to evacuating areas and carrying out sweeps. It may even suspend flights.
For these reasons, according to the expert, “There is no room for dubious interpretations” in situations like the one described, in environments such as airports.
“Any mention of an explosive threat is treated as potentially real until proven otherwise,” justifies the director of Adepol.
All of these procedures are based on article 261 of the , which defines the crime of attacking the safety of maritime, river or air transport. The penalty for this type of crime ranges from 2 to 5 years in prison and a fine.
The legislation is applied even in situations where there is no intention of harm, simply verbalizing a threat that puts public transport at risk, as is also provided for in international emergency protocols.
With information from .
