Ahmedabad airport on alert after bomb threat letter found onboard inbound Saudi Arabia flight scares passengers

Security forces have launched a probe after a letter threatening a bomb blast was found onboard an Ahmedabad-bound flight from Saudi Arabia. According to authorities, all passengers have deboarded from the aircraft safely and search operations are underway.

According to officials, a threat letter was allegedly found inside the international aircraft during security checks after the flight landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Security officials said the threat letter was found under one of the passengers' seats.

Sharad Singhal, Joint Commissioner of Police, Gujarat Crime Branch said local police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and security agencies conducted searches onboard the flight after the threat letter was found.

"A flight carrying passengers from Jeddah landed at the Ahmedabad airport in the morning. After all the passengers alighted, the cleaning staff found a note with a threat to blow up the flight. Local police, along with security agencies, have started the investigation,” Singhal told PTI.

Singhal added a thorough investigation is underway by security forces to determine the seriousness of the threat. "We will check the fingerprints and handwriting of each passenger. As of now, nothing suspicious has been found," Singhal added.

Police said forensic experts and handwriting experts have been called in to identify those involved in the act.

The threat comes after a lull in hoax bomb threats to India-bound aircraft and international flights. Several flights were cancelled or diverted due to hoax threats, prompting the civil aviation ministry to initiate serious action against offenders.