COIMBATORE: Coimbatore city went through an odd situation on the law and order front in the just-ending year as approximately 40 hoax bomb threats were received. The police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad had a tough time as they were called in to search and sanitise the premises of educational institutions and government offices with the Coimbatore District Collectorate alone targeted 22 times.
The police along with the ATS has been investigating the origin of these hoax threats, though with no breakthrough.
"Previously, when such a threat was received, it was taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. But now, with fake threats arriving almost daily, it has lost its significance and is becoming routine," said police personnel attached to the K9 Dog squad of the city police.
City police say the Collectorate staff have been under stress following repeated mails threatening bomb explosions.
The staff say even though they are hoax threats, the very mention of a 'bomb threat' creates fear. "Every time the police conduct a search, there is tension and anxiety among the staff that something untoward might happen," employees said.
They express distress over whether there will ever be an end to this and strongly urge the police to quickly apprehend the responsible individuals.
"In the beginning, when a hoax bomb threat came, officials handled it carefully. To avoid causing panic among the employees, the police conducted searches at times when staff were out. Over the period, with continuous fake threats, their credibility has gone. Everyone has this worry that what if, one day, a bomb threat turns out to be real? Every time, the BDDS team and the dog squad conduct searches. Unless the people behind this are arrested and fake bomb threats are completely stopped, the fear among employees cannot be eliminated," said an official from the land survey department.
An employee at the Treasury Department said that these repeated fake bomb threats not only disrupt their office work environment but also create a certain fear among their family members personally.
The District Collectorate campus, which houses around 30 departments, sees thousands of employees, officials, and the public visiting every day. Employees said that the continuous stream of these hoax bomb threats has created an atmosphere filled with fear for everyone.
Everytime Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team carried out extensive searches at the building and premises, they could not locate any suspicious objects.
Sources with the city police said continuous efforts are being made to trace the origin of the hoax threats, which are also being received by key offices and institutions in other districts as well. Personnel attached to the cybercrime team are making efforts to make a breakthrough in the hoax threats, they said.
"We cannot ignore such hoax emails, and we search the premises immediately. The city cybercrime police have been working on various angles with the help of experts to trace the person who is sending the bomb threat emails," said a senior police officer involved in the investigation.
The officer added that this issue is not limited to Coimbatore; it is happening in other districts and even in other states, affecting major government offices, airports, railway stations, stock exchange offices, and more.
"All these threat emails are sent through foreign domains using dark web services, making it difficult to identify who is behind them. We have sought the help of service providers. At the same time, we have intensified the technical investigation. Local police, cybercrime police, and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are all conducting inquiries related to this. We are also continuously coordinating with counterparts from other states facing similar problems. We expect a good breakthrough soon," said the officer.