A 22-year-old Singaporean man was fined S$3,500 on Monday (Oct 6) after posting an Instagram story falsely claiming that he was going to blow up a plane. The message led to a police investigation, flight delays, and additional costs for the airline.
According to Channel News Asia, Azim Shah Abubakar Shah, was convicted of one count of making a threatening communication seen by others and likely to cause alarm.
The court heard that police were alerted to the matter at about 7.20pm on Feb 14 this year after Meta’s law enforcement team reported detecting an Instagram story that stated: “No one here knows I’m gonna blow the plane up.”
Meta provided Azim’s phone number and IP address, which allowed authorities to trace the message back to him. Investigations revealed that Azim was on board an Etihad Airways flight departing from Singapore to Abu Dhabi.
The flight, which was already on the runway at Changi Airport, was recalled to Terminal 2, where Azim was escorted off the plane and his luggage searched. He admitted to posting the Instagram story at around 6.55pm, which could only be viewed by 16 of his friends. Azim later told police it was a joke.
His post caused the flight to be delayed, and it eventually departed only at about 9.25pm. The incident led to an approximately two-and-a-half-hour delay and a late departure charge of S$1,750 for Etihad Airways. Azim was arrested after midnight on Feb 15 and later released on bail.
During court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh sought a fine of S$4,000, taking into account Azim’s age, lack of prior convictions, and early plea of guilt.
However, the prosecutor emphasized the substantial consequences of Azim’s actions, including inconvenience to passengers and crew, the late departure charge, and resources used to verify the bomb threat.
He noted that while the airline had declined compensation, the fine should reflect the financial impact and seriousness of the offence.
Azim’s defence lawyer, Mr Mohammad Shafiq from M Shafiq Chambers, sought a lighter fine of S$1,000, describing the act as a misguided joke. He said Azim, a national serviceman with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, was traveling with friends for a holiday and did not realize the gravity of his actions.
“He did not appreciate that such a post, particularly when he was due to fly shortly, would cause public alarm even if disseminated to a ‘closed’ group, nor did he appreciate the serious consequences such a post could trigger,” said the lawyer. He added that Azim admitted to the post immediately and that it stemmed from “banter about his religious identity.”
Mr Shafiq said his client had shown deep remorse and now fully understands the seriousness of his actions.
The court ultimately imposed a fine of S$3,500, which Azim paid in full.
Under Singapore law, for making a threatening communication likely to cause alarm, an offender can be fined up to S$5,000.
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