Crime branch probing Ahmedabad’s 2 hoax bomb threats, scanning phone records

We are investigating the angle of it being an inside job. It could be some disgruntled person working for the airlines, said an official

AHMEDABAD: The Crime Branch of Ahmedabad Police on Wednesday said it expected to make a breakthrough in its probe into the two bomb threats against international IndiGo Airlines flights at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on November 11 and February 10.

On November 11, a crew member just before take-off found a piece of paper inside the toilet with the word “bomb” aboard an IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah (Bloomberg / Representative photo)

“Both the threats turned out to be a hoax. The recent threat is estimated to have cost the airlines about ₹50-60 lakhs. We are investigating the angle of it being an inside job. It could be some disgruntled person working for the airlines,” said an official aware of the matter.

Bharat Patel, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Crime Branch, said the crime branch had taken up investigation into both cases given the seriousness of the cases.

An immigration form was found with a tissue paper attached, bearing the message “bomb is here” at the airport on February 10 after a flight from Jeddah to Ahmedabad landed. It was later declared to be a hoax.

Police officers said the bomb hoax led to a five-hour security check for all 180 passengers as police officials collected handwriting samples from them to check against the threat message. The hoax bomb threat caused flight delays of up to eight hours and affected several other concurrent flight timings.

“We have interrogated the pilots, crew members, passengers, loaders and cleaning staff of the two flights. We have also taken handwriting samples of passengers, crew members and other helping staff… There are standard SOPs before take-off and landing of a flight. It appears to be the job of either a passenger or some crew member including cleaning staff, loading staff and others. We have taken help from forensic experts and hope to make a breakthrough soon,” said Patel.

Call details of the employees are also being analysed, and a technical investigation is also undertaken to gather further information regarding all the connecting passengers from Lucknow in the November 2024 flight from Ahmedabad to Jeddah.

On November 11, a crew member just before take-off found a piece of paper inside the toilet with the word “bomb” aboard an IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah.