Kerala: Bomb threat via email prompts security spike at Thiruvananthapuram airport

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Thiruvananthapuram: Security has been tightened at Thiruvananthapuram Airport after a bomb threat was received via email earlier today. The threatening message, sent to the airport manager’s official email, has sparked concern, especially as it follows a series of similar hoax threats received across the state in recent days.

Collectorates in Kollam, Palakkad, and Kottayam were among the institutions that received bomb threat emails earlier this week. Investigations into those incidents yielded no credible leads, leading authorities to suspect that they were hoaxes intended to cause disruption.

Police say the pattern of threats points to a coordinated campaign by an unidentified individual. The emails were sent from addresses created on the dark web, specifically using Microsoft’s Hotmail service. Investigators suspect a "cyber psycho" may be behind the ongoing threats and have formally requested information from Microsoft to assist in tracing the source.

Despite the growing number of incidents—nine cases have been registered so far—no special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted. Officials admit they are struggling to trace the origin of the emails due to the anonymity tools available on the dark web.

Thiruvananthapuram has been the primary target, receiving the most threats so far. In a particularly bizarre case, an email was sent using the name of the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector, addressed to the Collector themselves. A follow-up email containing an apology was later received.