Vietnamese passenger arrested for "trouser-bomb" joke

Vietnamese police arrested a 24-year-old man in a southern airport after he was overheard saying he was carrying two hand grenades in his trousers, officials said Monday.

The incident is the fifth time in a year that Vietnam has seen an arrest over bombing jokes at airport security

Duong Tien Thanh was arrested Sunday at the Con Dao Airport after he was heard saying to his friend that he had two hand grenades in his trousers, said Huynh Thanh Khiet, chief police officer of Con Dao Island, off southern Vietnam.

"He was bored with the trip to Con Dao Island and made a joke to his friend that he didn't bring anything back home from the island except two hand grenades, referring to his testicles," Khiet said.

Thanh was arrested as he was about to board an ATR-72 aircraft to Ho Chi Minh City with nearly 50 other passengers. The flight took place as scheduled without delay after Thanh was arrested.

He was still being questioned Monday and it was unclear if he would be charged, Khiet said.

At least five air passengers have been arrested making jokes that they are carrying bombs or hand grenades over the last year, according to Dao Duc That with the security unit of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Department.

"Talking about bomb on the plane is a sensitive issue so they need to be dealt with to ensure safety for other passengers," That said.

In April this year, a Vietnamese court sentenced an air passenger to 10 months' probation and a cash fine of nearly 15,000 dollars for joking that he had a bomb in his luggage on a flight from Hanoi to Khanh Hoa province in August 2006.

Vietnam's fast-growing economy has made air travel affordable for the first time for many Vietnamese, and state-run airlines have been increasing flights between major cities. dpa kj pw