NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has increased security measures at airports across the country due to hoax threat calls to airlines.
They have deployed Bomb Threat Assessment Committees (BTAC) at major civil aviation facilities, staffed by officers from their cyber wing, officials reported on Monday.
It is to be noted here that for the past two weeks, Indian airline operators have reported receiving over 400 hoax calls, prompting widespread concern regarding the potential implications for passenger safety and national security.
The officials said that to effectively deal with emerging situations out of such threats, the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) cyber wing has launched a comprehensive analysis of these threat calls coming from overseas and its investigation is focused on determining the motives behind threatening calls and assessing their authenticity.
As part of the exercise, the NIA has deployed a BTAC team at each of the major airports in the country and they have been tasked to step up security protocols and effectively identify and eliminate any real threats before they can escalate, ensuring the safety of air travel, the officials said.
A senior official said, the NIA is not acting alone, as it is collaborating with various other security agencies, and cooperation among them “is crucial for conducting thorough investigations into threat calls and implementing enhanced security measures at airports”.
He went on to add: “By clubbing resources and gathering information, the agencies aim to create a robust response system capable of managing any potential threats in real-time.”
The official said the BTAC team “is trained and capable of responding quickly to any reported threats or emergencies, further bolstering the safety of civil aviation infrastructure across the country.
According to the officials, the recent hoax calls in big numbers are not only a “logistical challenge” for security agencies but they also pose “a serious risk of diverting resources away from genuine threats”.
So, the steps are being taken to scrutinise the authenticity of each call rigorously, they added.