Coordinated by the Public Security Police Force (CPSP) and joined by a number of government entities and the aviation operators, the “Bomb Threat Exercise 2023” was carried out in the evening of 21 September 2023. The event simulated the scenario of two terrorists from a foreign country who were caught carrying suspected explosives when transiting in Macau International Airport. The parties involved in the airport emergency plan took swift actions to handle the crisis. The two terrorists were arrested and the explosives were detonated. The exercise went on smoothly and was deemed a success.
The exercise took place between 21:00 to 23:30 last night. The scenario started with the detection of suspected explosives in the hand carry baggage of a transit passenger by the security inspectors during the screening procedures in the transit corridor of the passenger terminal. The security inspectors requested the passenger to open the baggage for further inspection. The passenger left the baggage and immediately fled. The security inspectors tracked the passenger, reported the case to the senior management and the police. The security inspectors eventually caught the passenger and explosive substances was found in the baggage after checking. Upon receipt of the notification, the airport police sent policemen to the site, cordoned off the area and located the other transit passengers to another zone for inspection. In view of the crisis level of the incident, Macau International Airport declared emergency and activated the Emergency Operations Centre. All involved government entities and the airport operators arrived at the centre to handle the crisis in joint efforts.
The airport police later found out that another passenger in the site was also carrying suspected explosives in his hand carry baggage and arrested him. The bomb threat analysis and evaluation group was called to the airport to move and detonate the suspected explosives in the bomb shelter situated in the south part of the airport. After inquiring the two suspects, the Judiciary Police confirmed that the suspects belonged to a terrorist organization of a foreign country who tried to ship the explosives to their destination via transit in Macao. After the CPSP had conducted a comprehensive search in the airport confirming that there were no other explosives and the Judiciary Police had completed their search of evidence, the incident commander eventually gave order to call off the emergency and the scene was then unsealed.
The Bomb Threat Exercise 2023 was coordinated by CPSP and involved the participation of Unitary Police Force, Macao Customs, Judiciary Police, Fire Services Bureau, Health Bureau, Marine and Water Bureau, Civil Aviation Authority, CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd, Macau Security Company Ltd. (airport security), Menzies Macau Airport Services Ltd. and Air Macau Company Ltd. About 140 participants joined the event which was deemed a success.
