‘Life in jail for bomb hoax calls’

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith

POLICE COMMISSIONER Gary Griffith is reminding the country that the punishment for making false reports of bomb threats, is life imprisonment.

In a media release issued on Friday by the TTPS said that three bomb threats were investigated recently and all were deemed fake.

According to the release, a caller who identified himself as a gang member, claimed there were bombs at the Arima Magistrates Court, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope and an IT store in central Trinidad.

“Due diligence was followed and police and emergency response teams investigated the threat at all three locations. Nothing was found.

Normal activities resumed at all locations” the release stated.

The release said that apart from the life sentence for falsely claiming that there are bombs at a location, there is also a charge of making false reports.

The release pointed out that under the Anti-Terrorism Act 12:07 (2), a person commits an offence if he communicates any information which he knows to be false with the intention of inducing in a person anywhere in the world a belief that a noxious thing or a lethal device or weapon of mass destruction is likely to be present. A person convicted of an offence under this section is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life. Investigations are active.

The hoax came two days after the US Embassy issued an advisory stating that gang activity, such as narcotics trafficking, is common with a significant portion of violent crime is gang related and geographically concentrated. The advisory was issued on Wednesday.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas” the advisory said.

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