Operations at Hilo International Airport in Hawaii came to a temporary halt when security screeners discovered two items resembling grenades in a bag owned by a man from Japan. The terminal area was evacuated on Tuesday morning while a bomb squad was called in to assess the situation. Fortunately, it was later determined that the grenades were inert, and airport operations resumed approximately an hour later.

A police spokesperson from the Hawaii Police Department, Denise Laitinen, mentioned in an email on Wednesday that the specifics regarding the grenades being inert are under investigation. Following the incident, a 41-year-old man from Kanazawa, Japan, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening. He was subsequently taken into custody at an east Hawaii detention facility but was later released pending further investigation, as per police reports.

According to regulations set by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are strictly prohibited in both checked and carry-on luggage. These restrictions aim to maintain security and ensure the safety of all passengers and staff at airports across the United States.