SANS and police investigate bomb threat against Bulgarian media and airports

BNT provided access to inspectors from Bulgaria’s special services to the broadcaster’s building for the necessary checks for explosive devices. Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the Ministry of Interior are investigating the terrorist threat.

The letter with the threat was sent to BNT e-mail at 9.33 on August 21. The terrorist organization said the building had TNT explosives and could be activated at any time after the letter was opened.

At the same time, such letters from the same sender were also received by e-mail at the airports in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas, as well as in the newspaper “24 Hours”.

The BNT building was evacuated for several hours and explosion control experts from the Anti-Terrorism Unit checked the premises, including with explosive detection dogs.

At Sofia Airport, the threat was for the explosive devices at Terminal 1, where a check was also carried out. Flights and passenger service were not suspended.

Plovdiv Airport also continued to operate while experts checked the premises.

Bourgas and Varna airports have also not been closed for operations during the checks.

According to analysis of the services, the most likely objective of the threats was to hamper the work of airports and the media.

The police said that bomb scares were also sent to airports and media in other EU countries.