Ghaziabad man arrested for sending hoax bomb threats to NIA and Delhi airport
A 36-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday from his residence in Govind Nagar, Ghaziabad, for allegedly sending hoax bomb threats to several high-profile government and security agencies in New Delhi and the wider Delhi-NCR region. The arrest, which was announced by the police on Friday, followed a series of threatening emails sent on Monday that triggered widespread security chaos.
The hoax emails targeted several key organizations, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The threats prompted rushed security checks at these agencies. After thorough investigations, all the emails were declared hoaxes, and no explosives or suspicious articles were recovered from any of the targeted sites.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma, the police tracked down the suspect by analyzing the email trail. Investigators zeroed in on two Gmail accounts used to send the threats. A detailed technical analysis was carried out, which led to the identification of the mobile phone number linked to the email accounts.
The mobile number was found to be active in the Delhi-NCR area. This technical trail eventually led police officers to the suspect's residence in Govind Nagar, Ghaziabad, where he was apprehended on Wednesday.
Police revealed that the suspect had searched for the email addresses of the various target agencies on Google. He then used different Gmail accounts to send the threat messages.
DCP Sachin Sharma stated that the suspect has been suffering from an illness since 2008 and has undergone medical treatment at various institutions. His family members also informed the police about his long-standing medical condition. No explosives or suspicious articles were recovered from his possession, and the motive behind the hoax emails is still unknown.
