Two Vietnamese women are in detention and facing prosecution in Malaysia after they claimed to be carrying bombs in their luggage while preparing to board a flight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport last week.

The female passengers were going through airport security to get on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi on November 22 when they were asked to declare what was inside their baggage.

In response, the Vietnamese couple said they were carrying bombs, which prompted security officers to detain them on the spot for investigation.

However, a thorough baggage inspection by Malaysian authorities found no bomb and the passengers admitted that they were only joking when they made the declaration, a Vietnam Airlines representative said in a statement.

Nevertheless, the passengers could face legal prosecution for the bomb hoax, which violates aviation safety laws in Malaysia, the airline representative said.

The Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that the two passengers were still being held by Malaysian police for a probe into the case.

Local police have not disclosed further information regarding the two Vietnamese nationals, citing ongoing investigation, the Vietnamese Embassy said.

Malaysian police said they would notify Vietnamese authorities when they wrap up their investigation, which could take 1-2 weeks.

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