Air India gets call, threatening to hijack plane to Pakistan

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The Rabale MIDC police in Navi Mumbai registered an FIR against an unknown caller for allegedly calling up Air India's call centre and threatening to hijack an Air India aircraft to Pakistan.

The Navi Mumbai-base call centre received the phone call on 23 February, following which security at all major airports, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport in Mumbai in the country was stepped up. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) immediately ordered all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security, according to an official note.

Rabale MIDC police also registered an FIR against an unknown person. A senior official said on a condition of anonymity that the accused was speaking in English and it appeared that the call was not made from India. Police are investigating the matter further. Cybersecurity team of Navi Mumbai have also started the investigation and are trying to track the caller.

BCAS confirmed a telephonic message received by the station duty office, AI (Air India) AOCC (Airport Operation Control Centre) Mumbai, stating information regarding a threat to Indian Airlines flight getting hijacked to Pakistan on 23rd February 2019.

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