Noida man held for sending threat message claiming 14 'terrorists' in Mumbai with RDX

Mumbai: Mumbai police have arrested a 50-year-old man from Noida for allegedly sending a threat message claiming 14 terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX to carry out blasts, an official said on Saturday. The crime branch apprehended the accused, Ashwinikumar Supra, from his residence in Sector 79 of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, within 24 hours of receiving the threat message, he said. The message was received on the traffic police's WhatsApp helpline on Thursday, in which the sender had claimed that 14 terrorists had entered the city with human bombs and 400 kgs of RDX and planted it in 34 vehicles to blow up the city, the official said.

The city police were on alert, as the threat was issued while they were making security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, the 10th day of the Ganesh festival. A case was registered at the Worli police station, and the crime branch took over the probe, he said. The crime branch traced the sender's mobile phone number to Gautam Buddha Nagar, following which a police team travelled to Noida and apprehended the accused, the official said. The arrested accused is being brought to Mumbai and will be produced before the court, later in the day, he added. The motive behind the hoax threat is yet to be ascertained, police said.