KRALENDIJK--A joke that he carried a bomb and drugs landed a Dutch passenger in jail in Bonaire on Monday evening.
The 35-year-old man said at the security check at the Bonaire International Airport that he had a bomb and drugs on him. The Dutch Royal Marechaussee immediately arrested the man who was scheduled to board a flight to Amsterdam.
After his arrest, the man said that he had only made a joke. Nevertheless, he was thrown in jail for the night. “We have a strict zero tolerance when it comes to these situations. If you threaten with a bomb, you get arrested,” said a spokesperson of the Marechaussee, who confirmed that the case is being investigated.
The suspect up to Tuesday afternoon was still in jail. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bonaire will decide what will happen with the man, if he can travel to the Netherlands or if he will have to stay in Bonaire for his prosecution.
It is unknown whether the suspect was drunk when he made his threat, or whether he travelled alone or with other persons. According to the Marechaussee, it happens more often that travellers make these kinds of jokes. “Thankfully, not too often. It needs to be absolutely clear that these kinds of remarks are never appreciated at airports,” said the Marechaussee spokesperson.
