Hoax call on China-bound plane leads to panic at IGI

A hoax bomb threat call kept security agencies on their toes for hours at the Indira Gandhi International airport on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The Delhi airport operator control room in Gurugram received a threat call in which an unknown caller claimed that there was a bomb planted in a China Eastern airlines flight which created a ruckus and panic at the Delhi airport.

At about 11.42 pm on Wednesday, the Delhi International Airport (P) Limited ( DIAL) control room received a call at Security Operations Control Center (SOCC) airport from Airport Operation Command Centre (AOCC) that a bomb threat call had been received by Mr. Rakesh Kumar, co-ordinator DIAL call centre, Gurugram from an unknown caller who had informed that a bomb had been planted in the China Eastern flight. SOCC had immediately disseminated information to all concerned as per Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) and all duty personnel were alerted. Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened at 12.10 am on Thursday at the 4th floor of the ASB building Terminal-3, which was attended by representatives of all BTAC members including senior officers of this airport security group.

The caller was found to have said he had information that he heard from people talking at gate number 1 that there was a flight going to Hong Kong, and there was an explosive on the flight which is going to take off in the next 10-15 minutes.

On being questioned by the DIAL coordinator, the unknown caller said he could not give any other information because he was afraid for his life. The caller then disconnected the call and claimed that he was attending a party. When the BTAC senior official contacted him again, the caller refused to share any information and disconnected the call.

The BTAC declared the call as non-specific at 1.17 am on Thursday, however, as a precautionary measure, the random checking, and physical baggage check, pat down search, profiling, CCTV surveillance and regular sweeping of airport was enhanced,The call was found to be hoax, said the airport sources.