Central agencies looking into bomb hoax threat to Bengaluru schools: Home Minister Araga Jnanendra
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Saturday said central agencies are looking into the bomb hoax threat received by multiple private schools in Bengaluru via e-mail, with regards to a terror angle, if any.
At least 15 schools in the city and its outskirts received bomb threats through e-mail on Friday morning triggering panic among students, parents and school managements, which the police later declared as a hoax after conducting searches.
"Searches went on till last night. There was no bomb, it was a hoax. Our police are trying to find out as to who was behind the hoax threat, and central agencies are also specially looking into it seriously," Jnanendra told reporters here.
The home minister, however, did not specify which central agency is involved in the investigation.
Asked whether the state has referred the matter to central agencies, he said, "They have come themselves, to look into terror angle, whether the mail has come from outside... they will also inquire, collect details from our (police) investigation," he added.
Bomb detection and disposal teams were sent to the schools that received threats on Friday to conduct searches, while police teams began investigating about threat e-mails and the sender.
The e-mail threats to schools read, "A very powerful bomb has been planted in your school, attention is not a joke, this is not a joke, a very powerful bomb has been planted in your school, immediately call the police and sappers, hundreds of lives may suffer, including yours, do not delay, now everything is only in your hands!"
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday commenting on bomb threats said there seems to be a conspiracy to disturb peace in Karnataka, which is a progressive state. He also assured that all the necessary precautionary measures will be taken.
Responding to a question whether the government has taken serious note of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri's video statement in which he has used the recent hijab controversy in Karnataka to target democracy in India, Jnanendra said the government has taken it seriously and all necessary measures are being taken.
"I can't share the details, because it is not a normal thing. He (Zawahiri) is the head of an international terrorist organisation. If he has spoken about our Mandya girl, we have taken it seriously. It is a matter of securing our national unity and integrity, we will do whatever is required for it," he added.
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
