No laughing matter: A toy bomb landed a passenger in a heap of trouble on a flight out of Bali

KNIVES, saws and screwdrivers — air passengers know these are prohibited items. But when it comes to this item travellers can get a little confused.

Inaugural flight of Qatar Airways from Doha to Perth

A PLANE packed with tourists departing the holiday island of Bali was forced to return to the terminal because a British passenger had wanted to bring a toy bomb on-board, Indonesian officials said.

The Briton, identified by local authorities as Davide Fogli, had initially declared his purchase — which came complete with a very realistic-looking bundle of dynamite and a timer — as he was passing through security at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday.

Tourists at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. Picture: Adrian Suwanto

He explained to security staff there that he had bought it as a toy and intend to take it home to a New Year’s Eve Party.

Fogli was then informed that he would not be permitted to take the replica on the Doha-bound Qatar Airways flight and so left the toy behind.

Cleared by airport officials, the man and his female companion proceeded to check in as normal.

But the report of the incident soon reached Trikora Harjo, the airport’s general manager, who ordered that Fogli should be questioned further. By this time, the couple had already boarded the flight, which was on the tarmac preparing for takeoff. Under Harjo’s orders, the plane returned to the terminal and Fogli and his companion were escorted off of the aircraft for further inquiries.

Fogli himself was questioned once more by airport officials and then again by local police in Denpasar, the provincial capital. The couple were finally released from questioning more than 24 hours after they were detained on Monday.

Trikora defended his decision saying that it was made “in accordance with the instructions of the Director General of Transportation,” The Telegraph reported.

“This was a very realistic toy and in the current climate, we wanted to know more about his plans,” an official added.

A Qatar Airways plane on the tarmac.

Officials on Bali are on high alert for possible terror plot during one of the busiest seasons for tourism.

More than 200 people, mainly Australian holiday-makers, were killed in a 2002 bomb attack by Islamic extremists on a nightclub. Airport officials have stepped up security after a Russian passenger plane was blown up over the Sinai desert.

Although Bali is predominantly Hindu, Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Hundreds of Indonesians have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and there are fears that a terror cell might be sent back to Indonesia to commit atrocities.

This article was published on Flyertalk.com.