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Chennai, Oct 9 (IANS) Fake bomb threats sent through emails at public places, high-profile government offices and homes of prominent politicians and film personalities have become a daily threat in Chennai.
Last week, at least nine such threats were reported for three consecutive days, leaving the police on alert and on alert.
According to officials, the problem has persisted for almost two years, with more than 60 FIRs filed since 2023. In some cases, multiple threats received on the same day have been clubbed together into a single case.
Despite repeated investigations, Tamil Nadu Police has not yet had any success in identifying the culprits.
The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) by criminals to route emails remains a major hurdle in tracing their origin, sources said. Although these are crimes related to cyber crime, they are regularly transferred to the anti-terrorism squad of the state police because they involve bomb threats.
A recurring pattern has emerged where emails sent in the name of a celebrity or politician are received by the office of the Director General of Police, warning that an explosive device has been planted at a prominent location.
In some cases, emails are sent directly to targeted sites – like the message received by a temple management in Mylapore in July.
High-profile targets include the residences of the Chief Minister and the leader of the opposition, the state secretariat, Raj Bhavan, the state headquarters of the BJP and several places of worship.
Each time, the bomb squad and local police have to conduct a thorough investigation before a rumor of threats can be confirmed. On days when many emails are received, the workload becomes especially difficult for squads.
Film celebrities have also been targeted in recent months, including actor S. They are also included. Many such threats are being received at Shekhar’s residence.
A senior police officer said, “Almost all senders use privacy-focused browsers and multiple VPN layers to hide their real IP addresses. By the time we detect them, we only get access to fake addresses.”
He said limited cooperation from international law enforcement agencies, particularly in the US where most VPN providers and encrypted mail services are based, has made it difficult for investigators to make headway in these cases.
–IANS
Al/Red