Uzbek fined in Kazakhstan for “bomb in bag” joke at airport

An Uzbek citizen has been fined in Kazakhstan for joking, “I have a bomb in my bag,” at Almaty International Airport, Tengrinews reported.

The incident took place on September 2 at the international check-in counter. The 18-year-old passenger disrupted public order by claiming he had an “atomic bomb” in his luggage. He was held administratively liable for petty hooliganism and fined 78,640 tenge (about 1.82 million soums).

According to the Kazakh Transport Police, since the beginning of this year, 900 passengers have been removed from trains and planes for various violations. Of these, 489 cases occurred in railway transport and 411 in air transport.

The majority of offenses involved alcohol consumption, appearing in public intoxicated, petty hooliganism, smoking in train carriages, and other violations of the rules. Authorities reminded passengers that such behavior is considered a serious threat and any intimidation or disruption of order will lead to legal consequences.

It is worth noting that on August 25, a man attempted to set himself on fire near the ticket desk at the T-1 terminal of Almaty International Airport. Police and airport security personnel quickly intervened, and the fire was extinguished.