Hoax bomb threats target Bengaluru airport, MNC within 24 hours, probe on: Report
Bengaluru witnessed two hoax bomb threats within a day — one targeting the Kempegowda International Airport and the other at American MNC Broadcom.
The Bengaluru police on Wednesday reported that two hoax bomb threats were made within 24 hours — one targeting the city’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and the other directed at a multinational company.
The first incident occurred around 1 pm on Tuesday when Broadcom, an American multinational corporation, received an email containing a bomb threat, The Indian Express reported. The company promptly notified the authorities, leading to an evacuation of the premises. A sniffer dog squad was deployed, but after a thorough search, the threat was confirmed to be a hoax. The Puttenahalli police have filed a case and are currently investigating the matter.
A police officer involved in the case revealed that initial investigations suggest the suspect used a virtual private network (VPN) to conceal their identity. “On verification by experts, it was found to be a hoax,” the officer told media.
The second incident took place on Monday evening when a man, identifying himself as being from Hyderabad, called KIA with a bomb threat. However, shortly after, he called again to apologize, admitting that the threat was false, the report noted.
“The reception desk at the airport around 6.30 pm on Monday received a call that bombs have been placed in Chennai and Bengaluru airports. However, in the next few minutes, the suspect made calls from the same number and apologised for making such a call and said he was under the influence of alcohol,” a police officer said, as quoted by the publication. The police are investigating the case and have sent a team to Hyderabad to locate the caller.
This is not the first time such threats have been made. Several schools in Bengaluru, railway stations and the Bengaluru airport have received similar bomb threat calls and emails in the past.