France is threatening “little jokers” and “little clowns” with jail phrases and massive fines after faux bomb threats led to the cancellation of 130 flights and closed the Palace of Versailles thrice in 5 days.
False threats have been made towards 17 airports on Wednesday, inflicting widespread disruption and the evacuation of 15 of them, French transport minister Clement Beaune stated.
Officers instructed youngsters and younger individuals could possibly be accountable.
Below French regulation, prank calls will be punished by as much as three years behind bars and fines of just about £40,000.
Justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti blamed “little jokers, little clowns” and stated they “shall be discovered, they are going to be punished”.
He added: “We do not want this. We do not want troublemakers, psychosis, at this second.”
Minors’ mother and father could possibly be made to pay for damages, he added.
“These false alerts usually are not unhealthy jokes, they’re crimes,” Mr Beaune posted on X, previously often called Twitter.
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France has been on heightened alert for the reason that fatal stabbing of a schoolteacher final week.
The assault has been linked to the battle between Israel and Hamas, France’s inside minister Gerald Darmanin has stated.
A funeral was held on Thursday for the French language trainer, Dominique Bernard, in Arras – the northern city the place he taught on the Gambetta-Carnot college.