Fighter jets escort SIA plane to Changi Airport, man arrested for allegedly making bomb threat

A 37-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly making a bomb threat on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from San Francisco that landed in Singapore early on Wednesday morning. The Straits Times understands that the man arrested is a foreign national. SQ33, which left San Francisco at 10.26pm on Monday, was escorted by two Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter jets, which landed at the Changi Airport at about 5.50am on Wednesday, according to the RSAF and police. The police was informed of the alleged bomb threat at about 2.40am on Wednesday. The aircraft was then taxied to a remote area of the airport for security checks, according to a Singapore Airlines spokesman. “Teams from the Singapore Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives Defence Group and Airport Police Division were on site to verify the claims. The threat was subsequently verified to be false, and the suspicious person has been arrested,” said Mindef on Facebook. After the security checks were completed, the aircraft was towed to Changi Airport Terminal 3. "Preliminary investigations indicate that a 37-year-old male passenger had allegedly claimed that there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag, and had assaulted the crew," the police said. "He was restrained by the crew, and subsequently arrested by the police under Regulation 8(1) of the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations and for suspected consumption of controlled drugs. Police investigations are ongoing."<br/>