The man told airport security officials that the equipment he was wearing under his clothes was to treat his chronic back pain. With that explanation and no further questions asked, the man was allowed to continue on his journey with a fake bomb vest strapped to his body.
The mysterious passenger, whose identity has not been revealed, spoke to “Het Laatste Nieuws” to explain the incident. He told the newspaper that the explosive belt was a credible imitation of the real thing and included wires and a detonator. When he was searched, the man pretended to be a foreigner who didn’t speak Dutch or Flemish.
The man told the Belgian newspaper that he got through airport security two more times that day: Once with a fake name badge and once with a knife.
