Hilo airport evacuated, bomb squad called after inert grenades found in Japanese man’s carry-on bag

Hilo International Airport was evacuated and the Hawai‘i Police Department’s bomb squad was called to the scene early Tuesday morning after two items that resembled grenades were discovered in a carry-on bag as it was going through X-ray screening.

Police responded at 5:44 a.m. Tuesday to the Hilo airport after staff with the Transportation Security Administration reported they found the two items in a bag that belonged to 41-year-old Akito Fukushima of Kanazawa, Japan, who was departing the country.

Officers secured and evacuated the aiport terminal area as a safety precaution, halting airport operations, while the bomb squad arrived and did its work, eventually determining the items in question were inert grenades.

Fukushima was arrested at 6:45 a.m. for first-degree terroristic threatening and transported to to the East Hawai‘i Detention Facility in Hilo. He remains in custody. Detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section continue to investigate.

Hilo International Airport resumed operations at 6:50 a.m.

The public is reminded that replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage. Transportation Security Administration officers also have the discretion to prohibit any item through the screening checkpoint if they think it poses a security threat.