Flight from Bergamo Landed at Sofia Airport Due to a Threat Received Via Email

Bomb threats targeting various institutions, as well as an aircraft connected with Sofia Airport, were received today, November 3. The aircraft landed just minutes before 13:00 and is being inspected by officers from the Specialised Counter-Terrorism Unit for possible explosive devices. This was announced to journalists in Pernik by Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, Acting Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. He was visiting the city to present a road safety initiative to pupils at St Ivan Rilski Primary School.

Nikolov explained that the reports again involved claims that explosive devices had been planted, while the identity of the sender of yesterday's threat was still being established. He recalled that in previous similar cases, email addresses used to send the messages had been identified, with the corresponding IP addresses traced to other European countries.

“The unfortunate thing is that some airlines have now also started to be targeted, which means that aircraft have to change course and the relevant measures have to be taken,” Chief Commissioner Nikolov said.

He assured the public that officers were following established procedures and responding to every report received. At present, there is no information indicating any specific terrorist intentions or actions. Security measures at airports have been stepped up, with personnel maintaining a constant state of readiness to respond.

Lyubomir Nikolov also announced that a specialised police operation was under way today targeting an organised crime group involved in trafficking illegal migrants from the Greek border to European countries. Several people have been detained, although Nikolov did not disclose their exact number or provide details about the group's members.

Searches are being carried out at addresses in Sofia and Pernik.

Source: BTA