A man suspected in telephone terrorism was arrested in Almaty airport

October 28, 2008
Own info

In 2008 Almaty International Airport received anonymous messages about supposedly explosive device placed in passenger terminal for 6 times.

The last message of this sort was received on the 5th of October at 07.15 a.m. and once again at 06.57 p.m. As before information about placed explosive device was not confirmed, but flights delayed for 2 hours at that time. About 1500 passengers and service staff were evacuated from the airport building.

In accordance with available facts about appearance of “telephone terrorist”, officials of aviation security of Almaty International Airport enhanced control over the airport’s objects additionally using video inspection.

Having analyzed available video materials of aviation security complex, video materials provided by law machineries and audio records of anonymous violator as well, group of video control found a young man who visited passenger terminal building for many times. It should be noted that earlier this man was arrested by officials of aviation security of Almaty airport and passed to law machinery as a person with no fixed abode. At the same time the man was neither passenger nor accompanier. 

In the course of detailed analysis of video inspection it was established that the stated young man continuously was interested in production activity of the airport, constantly came in contact with workers of rented areas of the terminal.

On October 21, 2008 at about 08.00 p.m. airport group of video control recorded appearance of the man in the terminal and informed a police station on duty whereupon this man was removed to Line Internal Affairs Department in airport of the city of Almaty for inspection. During the first minutes of conversation between officials of law machinery and violator, the latter confessed that he committed several anonymous calls. At present the apprehended is in Zhetysuiskiy Local Internal Affairs Department of the city of Almaty and criminal case has been initiated.

Alena Kochneva
 PR assistant to the President, Almaty International Airport
tel.: +7 (727) 388-8773
cell: +7 (701) 722-1619