Victoria's Avalon Airport was thrown into partial lockdown on Thursday morning after a suspicious item was discovered during security screening. The item, later identified as a laser hair removal device, prompted the evacuation of parts of the terminal and caused significant flight delays.
Police were called to the airport near Geelong shortly after 6am following the detection of the device in a passenger's bag on a conveyor belt. The Bomb Response Unit was deployed to conduct checks, eventually determining the item to be a harmless laser hair removal device, along with a cardboard-cylinder hot chocolate container.
Inspector Nick Uebergang stated that the bag's owner, a man who was detained, was uncooperative with authorities, prolonging the investigation. 'It's fair to say that the person that had the bag probably wasn't too co-operative with us to start off with, which made things more difficult,' he said. 'He wasn't giving us too much information at all on what was in his bag.'
The airport fully reopened after the device was cleared, but not before causing disruption for travellers. Several flights were delayed, including a Brisbane-bound service. Passengers described scenes of confusion, with long queues and roadblocks preventing access to the terminal.
An Avalon Airport spokesperson praised the response, stating it 'demonstrates the vigilance of the screening and security processes' and that precautionary measures were taken immediately to ensure safety.
