Kochi passenger booked for hoax bomb threat in London-bound flight

Nedumbassery police in Kerala detain passenger for hoax bomb threat on Air India flight to London from Cochin airport.

The Nedumbassery police booked a passenger headed to London on the charge of raising a bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax, in the Air India flight he was to board from the Cochin international airport on June 25.

The accused, identified as Suhaib, 29, a resident of Kondotty in Malappuram, has been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 506 (criminal intimidation) and the Kerala Police Act 118(b) (knowingly spreads rumours or gives false alarm to mislead the police, fire brigade or any other essential service). He was accompanied by his wife and daughter.

The police are trying to verify the reasons behind his action. Though booked under bailable charges, he remains detained at the police station for the time being.

The incident unfolded after Air India’s call centre in Mumbai received a bomb threat for the Air India flight AI 149, scheduled to fly from Kochi to London Gatwick, in the early morning hours of June 25. The alert was promptly communicated to the Air India office in Kochi and the Cochin airport at 1.22 a.m.

Following this, the Cochin airport authorities activated the protocols and immediately convened a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC), which assessed the threat and declared it specific. Subsequently, thorough security checks were conducted by the Airport Security Group (ASG-CISF), airline security personnel, and inline baggage screening systems.

Efforts were then under way to identify the caller who contacted Air India’s Mumbai call centre. He was tracked down eventually and it was found that he was scheduled to travel to London by the same flight.

Shortly, the passenger, along with his wife and daughter, was intercepted by the ASG at the airport’s international departure terminal during check-in. He was then handed over to the Nedumbassery police for further questioning and legal action.