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Kerala CM residence, state secretariat, Kochi airport on high alert after bomb threat

Kerala CM residence, state secretariat, Kochi airport on high alert after bomb threat

Time of India28-04-2025
T'puram: The Secretariat, the chief minister's official residence, Cliff House, and the Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) were placed on high alert after bomb threats were sent via email late Sunday night. The threats came from an individual identifying himself as Abdul Arulappadoss, purportedly representing a group called 'Madras Tigers-The Resistance Front'.
The email, addressed to finance minister KN Balagopal, additional chief secretary (finance) A Jayathilak and finance secretary Ajith Patil, contained a message claiming that an RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) was planted within the Secretariat premises and the Cliff House premises. The message further claimed that the device was programmed to detonate at 2.30pm on Monday.
The email alleged, without any coherent substantiation, that the motive behind the plot was to derail the chief minister's investigation into a cross-border narcotics network linked to drug smuggler Jaffer Sadiq. It also made various disjointed claims about political cover-ups involving DMK leaders, alleged cyber trails connecting a former Tamil Nadu IPS officer to a drug cartel, and a supposed international collaboration through encrypted communication systems sourced from Italy.
Top sources revealed that the same individual has been issuing similar threats in Tamil Nadu for over two months, with Tamil Nadu Police actively on the lookout for him. In Kerala too, officials said he was sending threatening emails and messages intermittently for the past month, keeping security forces under constant pressure.
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The repeated threats have kept the bomb detection squad and the K-9 units of Kerala Police on their toes, forcing them to rush to various govt buildings and sensitive locations to conduct thorough checks.
Despite the incoherence and erratic nature of the messages, the authorities are treating the threats seriously, given the potential risks involved. Investigations are underway to trace the origin of the emails and verify the credibility of the claims.
Meanwhile, a Cial email received a bomb threat on Sunday evening from achimuthu_ahmed_shankar@outlook.com.
Bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC) was convened on Monday morning and decided that the CISF ensure anti-sabotage checks at all terminals and police conduct city wide checks. Airlines should ensure increased secondary ladder point check for all southern flights. Cial filed a complaint with the state police and informed the stakeholders concerned.
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