A laser hair removal device sparked a bomb scare at an Australian airport after being flagged as a suspicious item during security screening. Avalon Airport, located 34 miles southwest of Melbourne, was placed on lockdown following reports of a suspicious package on Thursday morning. Bomb disposal robots were deployed by Victoria Police to investigate a bag on a conveyor belt shortly after 6am.
Police Investigation
Victoria Police acting inspector Nick Uebergang identified the suspicious items as an “electrical laser hair removal device and a hot chocolate container” to local reporters. The airport was partially evacuated, with an area cordoned off as a precaution for approximately four hours while police conducted their investigation.
A man from Melbourne was temporarily detained but later released without charges. Uebergang noted that “the person who had the bag wasn't too cooperative with us to start off with,” which made “things a little bit difficult.” He added that “they probably could have averted things, and we could have got out of here a little bit quicker.”
Impact on Travel
Two flights to Sydney were cancelled, and several other journeys were delayed after the airport’s domestic terminal was closed. One traveller told ABC Radio Melbourne: “We arrived at the airport around 7am and they had just put up the closure. No one sort of knew what was going on. We knew something was fairly significant because there were a lot of police cars and other sorts of cars going into the airport.”
Airport Response
An Avalon Airport spokesperson stated: “Today's response demonstrates the vigilance of the screening and security processes, with precautionary measures taken immediately to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and the broader community, which will always remain our highest priority.”
