FLC OF CL65 IS NOTIFIED DURING CLBOUT THAT PAX COUNT IS IN ERROR. PAX NOT BOARDED BUT HIS BAG ON BOARD AND HE HAD SPOKEN OF AN ATOM BOMB IN HIS BAGGAGE. FLT DIVERTS.

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DEPARTED DSM FOR CVG ON TIME AND CALLED DSM STATION TO RPT OUT/OFF TIMES AS REQUIRED. THE AGENT STATED THAT HE HAD A PROB WITH THE PAX COUNT AND WANTED TO VERIFY THE NUMBER OF PAX ON BOARD. THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD ALSO MISCOUNTED THE PAX AND WE HAD ONE LESS PAX THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. THE AGENT CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT HE WAS 'AFRAID THAT THE MISSING PAX WAS ACTING STUPID AND HAD MADE SOME REMARKS WHILE CHKING HIS BAG THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO ON THE RADIO.' I ASKED HIM WHAT THE REMARK WAS AND HE SAID THAT THE PAX HAD TOLD HIM HE HAD AN ATOM BOMB IN HIS CHKED BAG. NOW THIS CHKED BAG WAS ON OUR FLT AND THE PAX WAS NOT. I CALLED DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM OF OUR SIT AND WE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DIVERT THE FLT TO CID. I INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF THE INFO THAT WE HAD SO FAR AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO CID. I MADE A SIMILAR ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX. I CALLED DISPATCH BACK AGAIN TO SEE IF WE SHOULD DECLARE AN EMER AND THEY THOUGHT IT BEST NOT TO. WE LANDED IN CID AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE BOMB THREAT AREA. 1 POLICE OFFICER AND 2 GATE AGENTS MET US THERE. DISPATCH HAD TOLD THE AGENTS THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO LOCATE AND REMOVE THIS BAG FROM THE ACFT. I INSISTED THAT THIS TYPE OF WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE WITH SOMEONE WITH TRAINING IN BOMB DISPOSAL. THE POLICE OFFICER SAID THAT DISPATCH WOULDN'T CALL THIS AN EMER SO THEY DID NOT HAVE BUSSES TO TRANSPORT THE PAX TO THE TERMINAL AND DID NOT HAVE THE EXPLOSIVES DOG ON SCENE. THE OFFICER ALSO REFUSED TO LOOK FOR AND REMOVE THE BAG. I AGAIN INSISTED THAT A TRAINED INDIVIDUAL BE BROUGHT OUT TO DEAL WITH THIS SIT. HE SAID THAT IN ORDER TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED WE WOULD HAVE TO TREAT IT LIKE A 'REAL EMER.' I TOLD HIM TO DO WHAT HE HAD TO DO; BUT GET SOMEONE OUT HERE TO REMOVE THE PAX AND SOMEONE TRAINED TO WORK WITH EXPLOSIVES TO REMOVE THIS BAG. THEY HAD SOME TROUBLE LOCATING THE EXPLOSIVE SNIFFING DOG AND THE DOG HANDLER AND ALSO HAD SOME TROUBLE LINING UP BUSSES TO TRANSPORT THE PAX TO THE TERMINAL. EVENTUALLY THE PAX WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE TERMINAL; THE BAG WAS FOUND BY THE BOMB SQUAD AND DID NOT CONTAIN ANY EXPLOSIVES (IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT ANYWAY); THE FLT WAS REDISPATCHED; REFUELED; RELOADED AND CONTINUED TO CVG. THE HANDLING OF THIS SIT BY DISPATCH AND THE AUTHS IN CID WAS VERY POOR. THE BOMB SQUAD AND PAX TRANSPORTATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO MEET US AFTER WE LANDED. IF THIS WAS ENOUGH OF AN EMER TO DIVERT FOR; IT WAS ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 393743: THE BAG WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT BY THE BOMB SQUAD; THE FLT REDISPATCHED; REFUELED; RELOADED AND CONTINUED TO CVG. THE PERSON ORIGINALLY RECEIVING THE THREAT SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE AUTHS AND OUR COMPANY DISPATCH SHOULD HAVE ADVISED THE BOMB SQUAD MEET US WHEN WE DIVERTED.