CHENNAI: The security was stepped up at a mall in Royapettah and a few others in the city after the State intelligence wing got a bomb threat by e-mail. This kept the bomb squad on their toes for hours, before surmising that the threat was a hoax.
The mail threatening about the bomb at Express Avenue came at around 11 pm on Friday, and in a few minutes the Bomb Detection and Defusing Squad (BDDS) reached and combed the premises for hours late into the night. It proved to be a false alarm.
Officials remained tight-lipped about the origin of the mail and did not say much about the contents except that the mail’s IP address was traced to a foreign country. A senior police official said the mail warned of a terror strike in which the terrorists might sneak into the country by sea.
Following this, the Coastal Security Group along with Coast Guard and Navy stepped up patrolling their waters.
Meanwhile to ensure the safety at other private malls in the city, officials checked the Spencer Plaza. The drill was extended on Saturday.
The city police top brass instructed the chief security officers of malls in the city to screen the visitors carefully and to sound an alert in case of any suspicion.