In a recent incident reported media, a male passenger identified as Azeem Khan was arrested following a complaint by a woman co-passenger who overheard him discussing a ‘bomb’ over the phone. The incident took place on June 7 (Wednesday) during a flight at Delhi airport.
The woman promptly informed the flight crew, who alerted the authorities at the airport. Khan was subsequently de-boarded, handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and later transferred to the Delhi Police. However, after conducting a thorough investigation, no evidence of any actual threat was found, as reported by the Delhi Police.
This is not the first instance of a hoax bomb threat in recent months. In April of this year, a 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh was arrested by the Delhi Police following a similar incident. The IGI Airport Police Station received a call claiming that a bomb had been planted at the airport. However, upon calling back the number, it was found to be switched off. Subsequent inspections were conducted, and no suspicious items were discovered. The investigation revealed that the information was fake, leading to the arrest of the caller, identified as Zakir, who was charged under relevant sections of the law.
In another incident in February, a passenger made a hoax bomb threat call to the Hyderabad airport with the intention of delaying the flight so that he wouldn’t miss it. The passenger, running late for his scheduled Chennai-bound flight, falsely reported a bomb threat to buy more time.
The airport security immediately took action, evacuating all passengers from the aircraft and conducting a thorough inspection. No evidence of a bomb was found. The caller was later identified and booked by the police.
These incidents highlight the serious consequences of making false bomb threats, causing panic, disruption, and wasting valuable resources. Authorities continue to remain vigilant in responding to such incidents and conducting necessary investigations to ensure the safety and security of air travel.