Hawaii Airport Evacuated After Passenger Was Detected With Grenades



A Hawaii airport was briefly evacuated after authorities discovered that a Japanese passenger was carrying two inert grenades in his carry-on luggage, local authorities said today.


The airport in the city of Hilo, in the east of the US state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific, was evacuated on Tuesday, while a team of bomb disposal experts examined the suspicious objects, detected by X-ray at the airport terminal.


"Hilo International Airport experienced a brief interruption in operations" lasting just over an hour, according to a statement from the Hawaii Police Department.


Authorities "concluded that the objects were inert" (empty) grenades, meaning they were not dangerous, police added.


A 41-year-old Japanese man was detained by authorities for a "terrorist threat", according to police, who still have him in custody.


Police authorities recalled that "explosive replicas, for example hand grenades, are prohibited in checked baggage and hand luggage."