Indonesia probes second bomb threat on Saudia haj flight
An armed military serviceman keeping watch near a Saudia aircraft at the Kualanamu International Airport in Medan after the plane was diverted following a bomb threat. - AFP
JAKARTA: A second bomb threat targeting Saudia has been reported, Indonesian authorities said Monday (June 23).
The threat, made on Saturday via voice communication routed through a Virtual Private Network (VPN)-based radio system, prompted an emergency landing in North Sumatra.
The affected flight, Saudia flight SVA 5688, operating the Jeddah-Muscat-Surabaya route, was carrying 376 haj pilgrims from East Java and 11 crew members.
The aircraft landed safely at Kualanamu International Airport in North Sumatra at 9.30am. All passengers and crew were evacuated and underwent security checks, police and military officials said.
Police counter-terrorism unit Densus 88 spokesperson Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mayndra Eka Wardhana said the message was transmitted while the aircraft was flying over Indian airspace.
"The threat was sent via voice communication using a VPN-based radio system that allows ground-to-ground and cross-border communication,' he told local broadcaster MetroTV.
A joint inspection involving the military, police, and other agencies found no explosives or suspicious items on board, according to the Armed Forces Information Centre (Puspen TNI).
"By 7.15pm, the screening process was completed with no threats detected,' said the centre's head, Major General Kristomei Sianturi, in a statement. The flight resumed at 3 am local time on Sunday after the aircraft was declared safe.
The incident followed a similar threat on June 17 involving Saudia flight SV 5276 carrying 422 haj pilgrims from Depok, West Java, on a route from Jeddah to Jakarta. SV 5276 was also forced to land at the same airport.
Media reports quoted airport authorities as saying that the threat, sent in English via email to the co-pilot, is believed to have originated in Mumbai and was allegedly issued by a foreign national.
"We're analysing whether the threat came from within or outside the country,' Mayndra said, adding that Densus 88 is coordinating with Saudi authorities, as the aircraft is considered a state asset.
On Saturday, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said authorities are also working with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to trace the email's origin.
"Preliminary findings indicate the sender's name did not match the email address used,' he added.
No motive has been established in either case so far. - Bernama
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