Five airports in the Caribbean area were successively victims of a bomb threat, within a few days. Each time, heavy resources were deployed to ensure that there was no real danger and traffic was disrupted. Airport sites in Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the West Indies have borne the brunt of the “jokes” authors of these hoaxes. They risk a lot if they are found.
A series of bomb threats have impacted activities at airports in the Caribbean region. In a few days, five platforms had to temporarily cease their activities and evacuate passengers and staff. Each time, these were false alarms. However, they caused real disruptions.
It all started about ten days ago, in the two international airports “Jags McCartney” and “Howard Hamilton” in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South-East of the Bahamas. Between April 26 and 29, 2024, no less than four bomb threats were sent to the authorities by email. Systematically, it was necessary to interrupt all activities and carry out a complete search of the terminal. Result: no bomb, but long delays and quite a mess.
Troublemakers are actively sought.
I unequivocally condemn the actions of those who delight in creating chaos in cyberspace. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police considers hoaxes and threats to be completely reprehensible and intended to disrupt our community.
Edvin Martin, Turks and Caicos Islands Police Commissioner
After this first salvo, a new series of similar alerts seriously disrupted operations at three other airports in the northern Caribbean.
Last Sunday (May 5), this was the case first of all at “LF Wade” airport, in Bermuda. An email directly threatened British Airways Flight 158, bound for London. Here, again, the users witnessed or were actors in a scene of panic. The order to evacuate all passengers was given and Bermuda authorities sealed off a 9 kilometer security perimeter around the airport; for nothing since, during the inspection of the device, nothing was found.
Then it was the turn of the “Terrence B” airport, in the British Virgin Islands. Same scenario, same accumulated delay and same energy and financial expenditure, while respecting the precautionary principle.
Finally, on Monday, at “Clayton J. Lloyd”, Anguille airport, an incident of the same type was deplored.
In all these sites, long hours were lost in essential but, fortunately, unsuccessful excavations. However, such delays are often synonymous with significant financial shortfalls, not to mention the means deployed to avoid any possible risk.
The various police services involved are actively collaborating to identify the author(s) of these false bomb threats.
#French
