Egyptian man arrested at airport after joking about bomb
20 ސެޕްޓެމްބަރު 2026 | އާދީއްތަ 07:48Police have arrested an Egyptian national for falsely claiming there was a bomb in a bag at the Velana International Airport departure terminal. Although the suspect claimed the statement was made as a joke, security forces conducted a thorough search of the area, and the court has since remanded him in custody for five days.
Velana International Airport. | Amna Imad
An Egyptian national has been arrested at Velana International Airport (VIA) for allegedly making threats and spreading false information. The Criminal Court has ordered the individual to be remanded in custody for five days.
The individual arrested in connection with this case has been identified as Peter Saman Marzouk Saman, a 38-year-old Egyptian national. The court has ruled that his arrest was conducted in accordance with legal procedures.
The incident occurred near the airport's departure screens while the individual was with his sister. According to court statements, as duty officers approached to conduct a secondary inspection of his sister's bag, he claimed there was a bomb inside. His remarks immediately alerted security personnel; however, a subsequent search by the Maldives National Defence Force and the Police revealed no dangerous items.
Regarding the matter, he stated that his remarks were intended as a joke and noted that he had issued an apology immediately at the time. He further asserted that he has been fully cooperative with the police investigation.
However, on September 19, 2026, an order was issued to detain Peter Saman Marzooq Saman in a custodial prison for a period of five days.
In connection with this case, the investigation has been presented with incident reports from the Aviation and Port Security Command and the Maldives Police Service, as well as a statement provided by a witness.
Police are conducting a further investigation into the matter.
