British man drinks full bottle of whiskey before triggering anti-hijack alarm at Changi airport
A drunken British traveler who forced a security officer to press an anti-hijack button at Singapore Changi Airport was jailed for eight weeks and fined S$2,800 (US$2,170) this week.
In September, British national Arudchelvan Karnan was sentenced for his intoxicated behavior at Singapore's Changi Airport. On July 19, he arrived in Singapore from Sydney and spent the night in Little India. The next day, Karnan consumed a full 700ml bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey at his hotel around 9 a.m. He proceeded to Changi's Terminal 1 to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
By 3:30 p.m., after clearing immigration and reaching Gate C17, Karnan started shouting near the aerobridge, prompting other passengers to alert a Scoot employee. Karnan accused her of racism and verbally abused her. By 4:05 p.m., all passengers had passed the boarding counter, but Karnan refused to board, shoving the female employee and knocking her to the ground. A security officer pressed the anti-hijack button to halt the boarding process, leaving another passenger stranded.
Karnan was subsequently arrested and tested positive for 62mg of ethanol per 100ml of blood. The employee who tried to stop him sustained injuries to her left arm and wrist, causing a 45-minute flight delay. The charges against Karnan include harassment, causing annoyance while intoxicated in a public place, and unauthorized entry to a protected place, with fines and potential jail time.
Police emphasized the importance of passengers adhering to airport authorities' lawful directions to maintain security at such large hubs like Changi Airport.
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