Man given 5 months detention for bomb hoax

FUZHOU - A man who made a hoax bomb threat that affected a flight in October has been given five months of detention, an east China court has ruled.

Huli District People's Court in Xiamen City sentenced Han Guofang after he confessed to fabricating terrorist information.

The court heard that Han made the bomb threat call to a passenger on a departure flight from Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen on October 19.

The airport initiated an emergency response to evacuate passengers and security staff were sent to clear the threat. No dangerous items were detected on the aircraft, but the fight was delayed for over an hour.

Han was arrested by police in his rented apartment on October 20. He told the court he made the hoax because of a personal grudge against the passenger surnamed Chen.

Under Chinese laws, those who intentionally disrupt flights by fabricating threats may receive punishments ranging from detention to a jail term of up to five years, or more than five years for those whose actions have severe consequences.

The court said Chen was given a minor penalty because he pleaded guilty and confessed in court.