Mumbai Police on Saturday apprehended a man from Noida for allegedly sending a hoax SMS claiming that 400 kilograms of RDX was planted in the city as part of a terror plot. The message, received late Friday night, triggered urgent security checks across sensitive locations in Mumbai before police traced the origin to Uttar Pradesh.
According to senior officials, the threat message was found to be false but caused significant alarm in the city, which has faced several terror attacks in the past. The sender, identified through digital tracing, was arrested in Noida within hours of the incident. Initial investigations revealed that the man acted alone, and no explosives were found.
A senior Mumbai Police officer told reporters, “Our teams immediately mobilized to verify the threat. Security at major transport hubs and crowded areas was intensified. Fortunately, the message was a hoax, but such acts are extremely serious as they create panic among citizens.”
This is not the first time Mumbai Police has dealt with hoax bomb threats. However, the scale and specificity of the latest message – mentioning “400 kg of RDX” – forced authorities to treat it with the highest urgency. Cybercrime experts emphasize that such false alarms strain resources and delay attention to genuine emergencies.
Impact on India
Positive Impact:
- The swift tracing and arrest demonstrate India’s growing capability in cyber policing and inter-state coordination.
- The incident highlights the seriousness with which law enforcement treats threats, reassuring citizens of proactive security measures.
Negative Impact:
- Panic spread among Mumbai residents, particularly near transportation hubs, schools, and markets.
- Hoax threats divert valuable manpower, creating vulnerabilities by overstretching police resources.
- Internationally, repeated such incidents may project an image of vulnerability, affecting foreign investment confidence in India’s metropolitan hubs.
Next Steps
Authorities confirmed that the Noida man is being interrogated under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and IT Act. Mumbai Police have urged citizens to remain alert but avoid spreading unverified claims. Investigators are also evaluating whether stricter penalties should be imposed to deter future hoax cases.
