Singaporean charged for Instagram bomb threat on Changi Airport flight

Azim Shah Abubakar Shah was on an Etihad Airways flight bound for Abu Dhabi on Feb. 14 when he reportedly posted the message "no one knows that I'm gonna blow the plane up" using the Instagram handle "fruitloops_19."

The alarming post, which was viewed by 16 people, prompted swift action from airport authorities, The Straits Times reported.

Police were alerted to the threat at around 7:20 p.m. Officers from the Airport Police Division identified Azim as a passenger on the flight, which was already taxiing on the runway. The aircraft was immediately recalled to Terminal 2, where Azim was arrested, the South China Morning Post reported.

Authorities said the suspect did not possess any explosives or hazardous materials.

On June 5, he was formally charged with communicating false information about a harmful thing, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison under Singapore law.