Israeli police arrest teen for bomb hoaxes
TNN Bureau. Updated: 3/24/2017 4:09:16 PM
World
Jerusalem, March 24: Israel's cyber police arrested on Thursday an Israeli-American teen suspected of sending bomb threats to "hundreds" of Jewish institutions around the world.
The 19-year-old youth holds a dual Israeli and US citizenship, Xinhua news agency reported.
He was arrested on Thursday morning at home in Ashkelon town in Israel. His father was also detained for questioning. A court remanded their arrest until March 30.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the arrests by the Israel Police's International Crime Investigations Unit were made at the request of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law-enforcement authorities after traces of the threats led to Israel.
The police believed the suspect carried out hundreds of fake bomb calls to synagogues, schools, and other Jewish community buildings in several countries including the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
He allegedly warned the US-based Delta Air Lines of a bomb on one of its airplanes, which led to an emergency landing of the flight.
The teen used "advanced technologies to mask" his traces, said Samri.
His lawyer, Galit Bash, said the youth suffers from a "medical condition" that affects his cognitive functioning.
Samri added that the court has accepted the request for the teen to go through a medical examination.