Hoax bomb threats become daily nuisance in Chennai; VPN layers, privacy-focussed browsers keep police searching

Chennai, Oct 9 (IANS) Hoax bomb threats sent through email to public places, high-profile government offices, and the homes of prominent politicians and film personalities have turned into a daily menace in Chennai.

At least nine such threats were reported over three consecutive days last week, sending the police in a tizzy and keeping them on constant alert.

According to officials, the problem has persisted for nearly two years, with over 60 FIRs registered since 2023. In some cases, multiple threats received on the same day have been clubbed together into a single case.

Despite repeated investigations, the Tamil Nadu Police are yet to make any breakthrough in identifying the culprits.

Sources said the offenders’ use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to route emails remains a major hurdle in tracing their origins. Although these are cybercrime-related offences, they are routinely transferred to the State police’s anti-terrorism squad since they involve bomb threats.

A recurring pattern has emerged where emails sent in the name of a celebrity or politician are received by the Director General of Police’s office, warning that an explosive device has been planted at a prominent location.

In some cases, the emails are sent directly to the targeted sites — such as the message received by a temple management in Mylapore in July.

The high-profile targets have included the residences of the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, the State Secretariat, Raj Bhavan, BJP’s State headquarters, and several places of worship.

Each time, bomb squads and local police have had to conduct thorough checks before confirming the threats as hoaxes. On days when multiple emails are received, the workload becomes especially taxing for the squads.

Film personalities have also been targeted in recent months, with actor S. Ve. Shekher’s residence receiving multiple such threats.

“Almost all senders use privacy-focussed browsers and multiple VPN layers to mask their real IP addresses. By the time we trace them, we only reach fake addresses,” said a senior police officer.

He added that limited cooperation from international law enforcement agencies, particularly in the U.S. where most VPN providers and encrypted mail services are based, has made it difficult for investigators to make headway in these cases.

—IANS

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