Unhappy at his rotten luck while holidaying on a cruise ship, a Singaporean man resorted to making fake bomb threats as a way to release his pent-up anger.
He was eventually identified and arrested for making the threats, where he pleaded guilty to one count of communicating false information about a harmful situation.
Missed on concert & lost money at casino
According to The Straits Times (ST), Neo Hui Ghim and his parents were travelling from Singapore to Malaysia and back on a Resorts World Cruises (RWC) on Oct 11, 2023.
While onboard, he missed out on the chance to watch a concert as tickets had already sold out.
He then tried his hand at the casino but reportedly lost around $2,000 (approx. RM6,500) after several rounds.
SG man sends fake bomb threats to cruise ship staff
The trip came to an end at 1.20pm and Neo was on a MRT train when he began brooding over the concert and his gambling losses.
He then sent an email with the subject title “Bomb at Resorts World Cruises” to RWC’s “member booking” team, writing:
If I don’t receive the money I hope that one day Resorts World Cruises will explode and all guests and service personnel will drop into the sea. Next time, if I lose again, I’ll make sure the whole cruise is burnt.”
Before 2.30pm on the same day, Neo sent another email directed at RWC’s customer service team, where he wrote the following: “Please return me back my monies else the ship will explode and everyone dropped into the sea. Next time when I cruise again and happen to lose money I’ll ensure the entire cruise ship explode.”
More than an hour later, Neo sent the third email addressed to a RWC staff from the “member booking” team, claiming that the “cruise will be burnt down.”
Boarding delayed for 2 hours
Upon receiving the emails, RWC conducted safety checks throughout the ship, leading to a two-hour boarding delay for 4,000 passengers.
RWC also conducted checks to identify who sent the bomb threats, where they discovered it was Neo as he had used the same email address to make the cruise booking.
They then forwarded the emails to an RWC port operation senior manager, who immediately contacted the police.
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers also stepped in and found that Neo wasn’t on the cruise. The ship was later declared safe to board at 6.45pm.
Faces jail time and fine
As for Neo, he was arrested at 7.30pm on the same day.
For committing the offense of communicating false information about a harmful situation, he now faces a jail term of up to seven years, a $50,000 (approx. RM163,500) fine, or both if convicted.
His sentencing is expected to take place on Oct 27.
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