Family of smokers arrested after forcing plane to land

VANCOUVER DESI

A family travelling from Halifax, N.S., to the Dominican Republic allegedly refused to adhere to the flight’s smoking ban. Carl Court/Bloomberg News files

When it comes to smoking on airplanes, it seems the family that puffs together gets cuffed together, too.

According to a report by the Daily Mail in England, a family of three were arrested for refusing to put out their cigarettes aboard a flight from Halifax, N.S., to the Dominican Republic.

The actions of the trio – a father, mother, and son – forced the aircraft to land in Bermuda, where police boarded the plane and took them into custody.

“It appeared to be a father, a mother, and a son. The parents appear to be in their 50s. The son, I believe, is around 22 or so,” a police official said.

The family has been ordered to stay in Bermuda and their passports and travel documents have been confiscated.

Other passengers who faced inconvenience by the unscheduled stop were given hotel rooms. They took a new flight the next day.

- With a file from IANS

Tags: Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Halifax, smoking