Police in Johor Baru are currently investigating bomb threats that were made via email to six private schools in the area. The Johor police chief, Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, mentioned that new threats have been received and that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) are now collaborating with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Interpol to address this issue. “We received six police reports from six private schools last week on Tuesday (Nov 21) and have opened an investigation paper,” he said.
Comm Kamarul added, “We have completed our report and handed it over to Bukit Aman, and to date, there have been no new threats.” This announcement was made during a police retiree certificate handing over ceremony at Dewan Dato’ Onn, Johor police headquarters, on Monday (Nov 27).
The police chief also mentioned that their investigations revealed that the threats were all sent from the same email account. On Nov 21, he confirmed that the schools in Permas Jaya, Masai, Gelang Patah, Kulai, and Muar had received the email threats between 11am and 6.18pm.
“After receiving the reports, teams of policemen, including the bomb squad and canine unit, were sent to the schools to investigate the alleged threat. “We searched the school areas, and no suspicious object was found. The locations have been deemed safe,” Comm Kamarul mentioned.
Bukit Aman CID director, Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, mentioned that this case was complicated as it involved cybercrime and that Bukit Aman was working with the FBI and Interpol. The cases were being investigated under Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation by anonymous communication, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years, a fine, or both upon conviction. It was also being probed under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which was punishable with up to one year imprisonment, a fine up to RM50,000, or both upon conviction.
