Man with axe tried to hijack plane at Bangkok airport
A man armed with an axe and a homemade pistol prevented the hijacking of a plane at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport
A 34-year-old local man was arrested after he drove a motorcycle into a restricted area of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and then smashed glass doors with an axe when he was prevented from boarding an empty Bangkok Airways plane.
Airport director Kittiphong Kittichajorn said the incident occurred around 11:50 a.m. on May 3 when security guards were alerted that the man had entered a restricted area from parking lot No. 3.
“When the man tried to board a Bangkok Airlines plane that had just dropped off passengers at the gate leading to Checkpoint 3, airport officials immediately locked the gate to catch the intruder. But he used an axe to break two glass doors in an attempt to escape and was soon arrested,” Kittiphong said.
He added that the man appeared to be under the influence of some kind of substance when he was captured. In addition to the iron axe, airport security officers also found a homemade gun, scissors and an amphetamine tablet in his possession.
One of the security guards sustained minor injuries while trying to apprehend the man, but the incident did not affect flights at the airport thanks to security personnel who promptly responded to the emergency, the airport director said.
The intruder was turned over to the police. Kittiphong added that he will be charged with violating the Certain Offenses Against Air Navigation Act of 1978, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death, as well as a fine of up to 800,000 baht. Other charges include trespassing in an airport restricted area, destruction of property, and possession and use of drugs.
The airport is now investigating how the man managed to enter the restricted area, ignoring security measures
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