Swedish man’s ‘explosive’ suitcase sparks airport chaos in Thailand
A Swedish man triggered full-blown airport panic in Udon Thani after leaving behind a suitcase laced with what looked like bomb-making materials, only for it to turn out to be stuffed with nothing more than dried herbs and dirty laundry.
The 58 year old Swede sparked a major security scare at Udon Thani International Airport after abandoning a suspicious suitcase later found to contain potential explosive traces but the drama ended with nothing more sinister than butterfly pea flowers and bael fruit.
The man, identified only as Erik, had boarded an AirAsia flight to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, April 17, when he alerted officials he’d forgotten a bag. When staff checked the unclaimed luggage left at Terminal 2, alarms were raised.
Initial scans picked up possible explosive substances, prompting an immediate lockdown of the terminal and the deployment of emergency bomb squads, sniffing dogs, and high-tech screening equipment.
Udon Thani police, Royal Thai Air Force bomb disposal experts and immigration officers were swiftly called in. The suitcase was isolated, and the airport temporarily shut down as a precaution.
Surveillance footage confirmed the suitcase belonged to Erik, who had already landed in Bangkok. Police contacted him but he was reportedly “uncooperative,” leading to his brief detention for questioning at Suvarnabhumi.
Specialist EOD teams ran advanced tests on the bag and found traces of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a powerful explosive compound often linked to terror incidents. But after 30 minutes of careful inspection, the case was declared safe, reported The Daily News.
Eventually, Erik confessed the bag was his but claimed it had been packed by a friend and contained only personal belongings and some Thai herbs.
Sure enough, when opened, the suitcase held nothing more than second-hand clothes and bundles of dried herbs, including butterfly pea flowers and bael fruit, commonly used in Thai traditional medicine and teas.
Airport director Thippawan confirmed that “all international security procedures were followed to the letter” and praised staff for their swift, calm handling of the situation.
“State-of-the-art screening systems and protocols ensured the safety of all passengers with minimal disruption.”
Thippawan suggested the false positive may have been caused by accidental chemical contamination, possibly from a location where explosives had previously been handled.
While the suitcase turned out to be harmless, the incident served as a stark reminder of the tightrope walk airports face between safety and panic.
Erik has since been released, though officials say he may still face legal action depending on the final results of forensic testing.
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