PHILIPSBURG--Police received two phone calls on Sunday indicating that explosive devices had been planted in the area of the airport.

 

Police informed Princess Juliana International Airport SXM immediately after the first call, which should have led to the evacuation of the airport, but this did not take place as the threat had been directed at Pink Iguana Bar located right across from the airport.

 

Pink Iguana Manager Max Mignot told The Daily Herald that police had arrived at the bar just after 11:00am and told him and staff to evacuate the boat.

 

“They came, searched and did not tell me anything else. Usually when there is a bomb scare at the airport they close off my entrance, but this time officers were searching my establishment,” he stated.

 

Police spokesman Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson assumed that the airport had been evacuated during this time and communicated to the media about the threat in the area of the airport.

 

The second call by pranksters spoke about a yellow vehicle parked outside of the airport exploding when Air France departed from the airport on that same day. Again not taking a chance, the police dispatched two fire trucks and police patrols to the area in response to the threat. However, they did not communicate the second threat to the media at the time.

 

The Daily Herald contacted SXM Airport Director of Operations Division Larry Donker several times for comments about Sunday’s incident, but he did not respond to phone calls or e-mails. At no time did the airport shut down or evacuate staff and passengers on Sunday, according to sources close to management.

 

Henson said in an invited comment, “The police were not at liberty to say exactly what or who was targeted during the bomb threat, but the investigation continues as to who made the calls and if indeed they are in possession of explosive devices. It is customary that once a threat is made against the airport, security would initiate the evacuation. I assumed that this was done and communicated such. We cannot take people’s safety for granted.”

 

The Daily Herald