Hoax bomb threat: Kerala police arrest hoax caller

The series of hoaxes heightened security measures at several airports. File pic/Anurag Ahire

The Karippur police in Kerala have apprehended Ovingal Mohammed Ijas, 26, from Palakkad in connection with a bomb threat directed at an Air Arabia flight scheduled to depart from Kozhikode to Abu Dhabi on October 28. Ijas allegedly issued the threat via email in an attempt to get the flight cancelled. This is the third arrest related to the series of bomb threats made to airlines.

According to the police, Ijas used his personal email account to send the hoax message to the Kozhikode airport director at approximately 5.10 pm on October 28. "In the email, Ijas claimed that a bomb had been planted on Air Arabia flight 3L 204 and warned that the plane should not be allowed to take off. Airport officials immediately informed us, and we initiated an investigation with the support of the cyber cell," said an officer.

"The accused was supposed to travel on the same Air Arabia flight to Abu Dhabi," said Karippur Station House Officer (SHO) S Rajeesh. "With the assistance of the cyber cell, we tracked Ijas down using his email ID and took him into custody."

During questioning, Ijas confessed that his intention was solely to get the flight cancelled, with no additional motive behind his actions. However, police officials have stated that they are examining all possible angles to determine whether there may be any underlying reasons for the threat. An investigation into the connection of the accused being involved in the other bomb threats has also been initiated.

The series of hoaxes heightened security measures at several airports, affecting flight schedules and straining resources with 565 threats made to Indian airlines between October 14 and October 29.

565
No. of threats made to Indian airlines in 16 days