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wo Indonesian sisters identified only as 56-year-old UWD and 50-year-old TKW would have returned from their umrah (minor pilgrimage) by now had they not jokingly stated they were in possession of explosives stowed away in their possessions ahead of their flight home.

Rather than touch down in the warm splendor of Indonesia, they have been taken into custody by Saudi authorities at the Dahban special women’s penitentiary in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, officials from the Foreign Ministry have revealed.

The incident began as both individuals and one other relative boarded a Royal Brunei flight set to take off from Jeddah airport at 6:30 p.m., local time, on Tuesday.

Struggling to stow away a suitcase in the overhead compartment, a flight attendant came over to offer help with the luggage, commenting about the heavy weight of the luggage.

“Of course, it is full of souvenirs. Why would I bring a bomb from Saudi Arabia?” one of the passengers quipped, as reenacted by Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, the Foreign Ministry’s director for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad.

Both passengers were then reported to the pilot and subsequently escorted out of the airplane by security officers and airline officials at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport.

Seeing that his mother and aunt were taken away by the authorities, a third passenger, identified as LW, asked to be taken with them. He eventually alerted the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Jeddah about the matter, Iqbal said.

All passengers were asked to disembark as airport security proceeded to screened every piece of luggage onboard to ensure the safety of the airplane. The flight was delayed by more than 11 hours, the diplomat told reporters late on Thursday.

“The KJRI team was immediately deployed to meet with the airport police in order to persuade them that the remarks were not made in earnest,” he said.

“That same day the consulate issued a notice to the [Saudi] foreign affairs ministry overseeing the western region, which was forwarded to the police precinct.”

Iqbal lamented the incident, pointing out that making irresponsible comments at airports may constitute a punishable offense.

The incident was also confirmed by the KJRI in Jeddah.

Indonesian officials managed to persuade Maj. Qois al-Gamidi, deputy chief of the Jeddah airport precinct police, that the remarks of the two women were not meant as a threat, the Indonesian mission’s resident consular officer, Dicky Yunus, said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

LW is temporarily staying at a KJRI shelter until the case is resolved, Iqbal said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah, Hery Saripudin, said everyone looking to travel by air ought to be considerate and avoid any remarks that might incite panic or potentially compromise public safety.

“Refrain from inappropriate actions when onboard an airplane so as not to impinge on the safety and comfort of other passengers. Avoid making remarks that may cause panic and potentially threaten the safety of a flight,” he said in a statement.

Hery also underlined the importance of having haj tour and travel agencies provide adequate information to prospective haj and umrah pilgrims about the customs and regulations in Saudi Arabia.