From robberies to schools, how growing bomb calls are haunting India – Firstpost

Tuesday (October 15), it seems, was not a day for flying. Travelers across the country have faced diversions and delays after several flights received bomb threats. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has even convened a high-level meeting today (October 16) to discuss the issue of growing threats of bomb hoaxes on flights.

Over the past 48 hours, the Indian aviation sector has faced turbulence with 10 planes receiving bomb threats. Of these seven were received on Tuesday — Air India Express flight from Jaipur to Bangalore via Ayodhya (IX765), SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago (AI 127), IndiGo flight from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lucknow (6E 98), Alliance Air flight Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi (9I 650) and Air India Express flight (IX 684) from Madurai to Singapore.

The day before, three flights had received bomb threats: two IndiGo flights and one Air India flight.

But it’s not just airlines that receive these threats. In recent months, several hospitals, shopping malls, colleges and other institutions across the country have been the targets of such bomb threats.

According to authorities, these bomb hoaxes not only disrupt daily life and cause heavy economic losses, but also arouse fear and uncertainty among citizens.

Seven bomb hoaxes in 24 hours

On Tuesday, a total of seven flights were subject to bomb threats, leading to diversions and delays. The threats appeared on X, with authorities noting they came from the same account – @schizobomber777. The account has now been suspended.

In the case of the Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago (AI 127), the Boeing 777 took off from New Delhi to Chicago at 03:00 (IST) and was scheduled to land in Chicago at 07:00 (US time). . However, after receiving a bomb threat, the plane, as a precaution, landed at Iqaluit Airport in Canada.

“The aircraft and passengers are being screened again in accordance with established security protocol. Air India has activated agencies at the airport to assist passengers until their travel can resume,” the airline said.

After the Air India Express flight (IX 684) from Madurai to Singapore received a bomb threat, the Singapore Armed Forces dispatched two fighter jets to escort the plane away from populated areas. Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said Air India Express had received an email informing them that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 to Singapore. “Two of our RSAF F-15SGs took off and escorted the aircraft away from populated areas, eventually landing safely at Singapore’s Changi Airport at around 10:04 p.m. this evening,” he said in a series of messages on X.

The IndiGo Dammam-Lucknow flight — 6E 98 — which was scheduled to arrive in Lucknow at 6:25 p.m., was diverted to Jaipur, while Air India Express flight IX765 Jaipur-Ayodhya-Bengaluru was held at the Ayodhya airport for several hours due to the bomb threat. The plane finally took off for Bangalore at 6:21 p.m., after a delay of nearly three and a half hours.

For the AI ​​Express flight and the affected Akasa Air and SpiceJet flights, the planes were neither diverted nor delayed as they were close to their destination.

Officials note that bomb threats from a single source had a similar message. For example, in one of the threats, the user wrote: “@AirIndiaX @jaipur_police @JprRuralPolice I planted bombs on board flight IX765. The bombs will explode very soon. Blood will spill everywhere. Hurry up and evacuate, you don’t have much time left.

In another threat, the user wrote: “@flyspicejet Hi. There are explosives on board flight SEJ116. The bombs will explode soon. You will all die. Quickly get off the plane before it’s too late.

First day of pranks

Tuesday’s hoaxes were preceded by Monday, when three different Indian flights received threats. Air India’s Mumbai-New York flight was diverted to Delhi. IndiGo’s two flights scheduled to Jeddah and Muscat were delayed by 11 and seven hours respectively.

Air India officials said its AI-119 flight received a specific security alert and was diverted to Delhi as per the instructions of the government’s safety regulatory committee. Passengers on that flight were transferred to hotels once safety protocols were in place and the flight was rescheduled for Tuesday morning.

IndiGo flight 6E 57, which was scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Jeddah, also received a bomb threat. “As per protocol, the aircraft was taken to a secluded bay and, following standard operating procedures, the mandatory security checks were quickly initiated. Customers were provided with assistance and refreshments, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” an IndiGo spokesperson said. This flight took off from Mumbai airport around 1:15 p.m. after a delay of around 11 hours.

IndiGo flight 6E 1275, which was scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Muscat, also received the threat. This plane was also taken to an isolated bay for checks. The plane took off around 9:15 a.m., with a delay of approximately seven hours.

Mumbai Police investigating the threats have now issued a notice to a teenager, his father and another person from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Officials say the person’s X account was used to issue the threat.

Delhi becomes hoax capital

The threats received by airlines on Monday and Tuesday come after several malls and hospitals in the national capital Delhi fell victim to similar hoaxes.

In early August, Summer Fields School in Kailash Colony, Greater Kailash-1, received an email threatening to bomb the school. The school premises were immediately evacuated. It later turned out to be a prank by a 14-year-old student to skip school.

Later that month, shopping malls and hospitals also fell victim to such hoaxes, prompting authorities to evacuate people and search buildings. Officials said they received reports of bomb scares at Chanakya Mall (Chanakyapuri), Select Citywalk (Saket), Ambience Mall (Vasant Kunj), Primus Hospital (Chanakyapuri) and a few others places.

DLF malls in Noida and Ambience malls in Gurugram had also received threats, but on further investigation it was found to be a hoax.

And it all started then…

The year 2024 was marked by several bomb threats in the country and it began in May. On May 2, a total of 131 schools in Delhi received threatening emails. Delhi Police said the email contained the word “Swaraiim”, an Arabic word used by Islamic State since 2014 to spread Islamist propaganda.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) later issued an official statement saying the email appeared to be a “hoax”.

Other institutions in Delhi have also received threats, including Tihar Jail, Delhi Airport and even the Home Ministry.

Panic then spread to Ahmedabad when around 14 schools received alarming bomb threats via email. Investigation revealed that it was nothing more than a hoax, with some pointing out that it could be an attempt to disrupt voting for the Lok Sabha elections.

Bomb scares also hit Mumbai. On May 27, the Mumbai Police received a threatening call indicating the presence of bombs at both the Taj Hotel and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. After a thorough investigation, authorities said “nothing suspicious was found.”

Bomb threats and security concerns

The rise in bomb threats highlights the evolving nature of cybercrime. Authorities emphasize that the increase in these cases is due to the fact that detection is difficult. Most use end-to-end email encryption, making detection even more impossible.

Officials further note that this is not just a security risk. Such threats also lead to significant economic losses.

With the contribution of agencies