A local man was apprehended, following a bomb scare at a busy shopping complex in the bustling commercial area of Jalan Gadong, which was left in a lockdown late yesterday morning, while authorities combed the vicinity to defuse potential threats to the public.

The Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) said that a phone call was made to its 993 hotline yesterday, claiming that a bomb had been planted at the building which houses a popular supermarket.

The RBPF immediately dispatched its personnel to seal off the area and evacuate unsuspecting shoppers and employees from the premises as well as from nearby buildings, for their safety.

The area was brought to a standstill, from 11.30am until at around 5.22pm, with traffic being diverted to the main entry roads into the busy Gadong commercial area, as a police bomb squad conducted a thorough search of the building, before using the help of sniffer dogs from the K9 Unit of the Gurkha Reserve Unit.

The search operation, conducted by multilevel government enforcement and security agencies, found no sign of any explosive devices in the building, and authorities declared the place safe a few hours later.

An eyewitness, Pengiran Saiful Khalid bin Pengiran Haji Yunus, who works at a nearby building, said that he was about to leave the office for lunch when he was told to evacuate the premises. "I heard sirens everywhere and uniformed personnel instructed us to evacuate immediately...we were confused at first as we didn't know what was going on," he said.

A supermarket employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that everyone panicked when they were told to evacuate the building, but she praised the police for their swift action and evacuation process, which was done in an orderly manner. "We didn't know what was going on until I heard the news... It was of course a very frightening experience, and I hope it will not happen again in this peaceful country," she said.

Meanwhile, nearbybusinesses reported that they were pleased at the swift and thorough evacuation procedures, in spite of the losses they suffered during the closure. "Although it was just a threat, it should not be taken lightly as people's lives are at stake.. Yes we incurred losses, as customers were not able to enter our premises, but I think our safety is more important above everything," said Awang Nizam Said, a restaurant manager in the area.

Bomb hoaxes are a very rare occurrence in the peaceful Sultanate, and perpetrators face charges that carry a heavy term of imprisonment, if found guilty. In February 2012, a phone call made from an overseas number, claiming that a bomb had been planted at a government building in Kampong Anggerek Desa, was also revealed to be a hoax.

The RBPF, meanwhile, is conducting a thorough inquiry on the unnamed man, and is offering no further details about his age and other information as investigation is ongoing.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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