BENGALURU, 28 OCT

The City police are facing a significant challenge in apprehending those responsible for the recent surge in hoax bomb threats made to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru.

Between 22-26 October, police registered cases related to 10 hoax bomb threats, targeting various domestic and international airlines. The police also informed that they were made by unknown miscreants using social media accounts created specifically for this purpose.

A top official from the KIA police said that the cyber division is investigating this and looking into this matter. It is learnt that the investigation into these cases has been handed over to Assistant Commissioner of Police Naveen Kumar, Devanahalli sub-division.

An official informed Salar News, that most hoax bomb threat messages and calls are made using virtual private networks (VPNs). "The motives behind these threats could range from creating mass panic and disruption to testing authorities' responses. In some cases, it might be driven by a desire to cause chaos, impress friends, or even be linked to personal grievances against someone flying in or working with the targeted airline," the official said.

The government has told X, Meta, Google and Twitter to promptly share details about the user accounts that post these messages. "The government is planning to tweak the existing laws to deal with bomb hoaxes to airlines and ensure harsher punishments to deter such calls," the official added. —Salar News