Teen charged for NZ hoax bomb calls

A teenager has appeared in court in Israel charged with threatening to blow up Jewish institutions and schools in New Zealand and around the world.

The 18-year-old, Michael Ron David Kadar, allegedly used the internet to make hundreds of hoax calls in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the BBC reports.

One of his first threats allegedly targeted a Jewish institution in New Zealand and police identified his IP address as originating in Israel, according to reports.

In 2016, several New Zealand schools received telephoned bomb threats and some of the institutions evacuated.

Most of the so-called ‘‘robohoaxes’’ involved co-ordinated calls with an automated, recorded message, making a threat in a heavily manipulated voice.

Kadar has joint US and Israeli citizenship.

Many of the alleged hoax calls led to the closure of schools and community centres. Australian schools were evacuated after a spate of threatening calls.

The BBC report said prosecutors alleged he disguised his voice using software and he was also accused of attempting to extort a US senator. The accused allegedly made more than 2000 calls during a two-year period.

In one incident, a hoax threat forced the diversion of a passenger aircraft and six people were injured during an evacuation using slides.

Israel newspaper Haaretz said one of the first threats allegedly targeted a Jewish institution in New Zealand.

’’Police in New Zealand identified the IP address as originating from Israel. A similar incident occurred in Australia, and Israel was also identified as the source.’’

The Los Angeles Times said Kadar allegedly used Google Voice, digital phone services, and voice manipulation software.

A joint operation between the FBI, Israeli authorities, and police in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, led to his arrest, the report said.

The US Department of Justice said an investigation into violent threats to Jewish community centres continued.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the threats of violence ‘‘instilled terror in Jewish and other communities across this country and our investigation into these acts as possible hate crimes continues’’.

FBI director James Comey said such behaviour was not a prank.

’’It scares innocent people, disrupts entire communities, and expends limited law enforcement resources. The FBI thanks our partners for working with us here at home and around the world.’’

Kadar was charged in an Israeli court and separately in federal courts in the US states of Florida and Georgia.

Regarding the federal charges, Reuters reported the teen allegedly made at least 245 threatening calls, many to Jewish community centres in the US. He was also charged in relation to more than 240 hoax calls in Canada and the US in late 2015.

His mother told an Israeli TV channel that her son was autistic. ’’He can’t control it. He can’t think straight,’’ she said.

Haaretz said the teenager essentially worked as a bomb hoaxer for hire and was paid for his services in the virtual currency bitcoin. His account was worth more than two million shekels (NZ$780,000).

Kadar was arrested a month ago in Israel and the US charges were filed on Friday. He was arrested in the coastal city of Ashkelon.