Hoax call at IGIA sends security agencies into tizzy

Security agencies went into a tizzy on Tuesday after the CISF control room at the IGI Airport Terminal 3 received specific information regarding plane hijacks and serial bomb blasts in Delhi. The airport was put on high alert on receiving the information of 200 IS-affiliated terrorists entering Delhi. 

The information was received after a call was made to a call centre of the airport operator DIAL divulging the plans. Sources said the caller said that a conspiracy was being plotted in Goa and the attackers had planned to hijack and explode two aircraft and carry out serial blasts in Delhi. However, later in the investigation it was learnt that the information received was a hoax and the caller was from France.

According to sources, on Tuesday at 5.44 pm, Security Operational Control Centre (SOCC), the control room of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who are responsible for the security of the airport, at Terminal 3 received a message from Airport Operations & Command Centre (AOCC) at about 4.49 pm from Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) call centre, situated in Gurgaon of receiving a threat call. 

Later, the same caller made another call and claimed that he was calling from Goa. He told that he had overheard a conversion taking place between two suspicious persons who were chatting through an internet call at ‘Milan Cyber Cafe’ located near Hotel Grand Hyatt, Goa. He stated that around 200 IS terrorists, some even claiming to be relatives of Kasab, had entered into national Capital to carry out blasts across the city. 

The sources further said that the caller said that suspicious persons were planning to hijack and blast Indigo and Thai flights. The caller also disclosed that he had heard that the blast at Thai flights will be starting from Tuesday evening. He further said that IS is going to carry out terror attacks in one international airport, 15 railways stations, 15 city malls, 15 bus stands and markets. As per the caller, the IS is assisted by high profile people. The targets of attack as per the message are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Gorakhpur. He further stated that 500 IS terrorists will also enter Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata next year. The modus operandi of the attack will be same as that of the Paris attack. The caller further said that terrorists are planning to kill President and Prime Minister of India on January 1 as well as planning to attack Parliament and Modi’s house. 

After deliberation, Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) declared the call as non-specific at around 6.40 pm. However, all precautionary measures are being taken and personnel have been put on alert, said sources. Meanwhile, police said that the caller was not calling from Goa but was calling from overseas, the likely destination being France. “We are investigating the matter and trying to locate the caller,” said a senior police official.