Airline Bomb Threats: Mumbai Police Detain Minor; Know Possible Motive

Mumbai: Mumbai Police have detained a minor for allegedly issuing a series of fake bomb threats to various Indian airlines since Monday.

According to DCP Manish Kalwaniya, initial investigation revealed that that the fake threats/alerts were issued using a picture (DP) of another individual, also a minor, reported Times Now.

Police learnt that there was a financial dispute between the two boys, which could be the motive behind the bomb threats.

Mumbai Police is carrying out a probe covering all possible angles.

The threats resulted in a dozen flights being diverted over the last three days, including one to a remote airport in Canada.

“We got a complaint on October 14, wherein few social media posts mentioned bombs being planted in aircraft. The case was registered at Sahara Police Station, and the individual who made the posts was identified. Prima facie, we learnt that these posts originated from Chhattisgarh. We are investigating the matter. As of now, in our investigation we have found no link between other threat posts that are into the domain,” said the DCP.

The accused has been taken into custody and sent to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).

Union minister slams ‘disruptive acts’

Union Civil Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement he was deeply concerned over the recent ‘disruptive acts’ targeting Indian airlines, affecting domestic and international operations.

“Such mischievous and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern, and I strongly condemn any attempts to compromise the safety, security, and operational integrity of our aviation sector,” he stated. “In response, I chaired a high-level committee on 14 October, comprising officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” he added.

“Mumbai Police have arrested a minor responsible for issuing bomb threats targeting 3 flights. All others responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted,” he promised, adding that he was monitoring the situation.