Taipei police probe online threat to bomb multiple school campuses

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Taipei police are investigating a bomb threat after an online post claimed explosives would be placed in several senior high schools and universities in Taiwan's capital city.

The Taipei City Police Department said the post potentially constitutes public intimidation, and that it had notified all precincts to strengthen security around school campuses.

The department said it received the information from the National Police Agency's (NPA) Railway Police Bureau, which reported that a user of Discord, an instant messaging and video communication platform, had publicly claimed they would place bombs in multiple schools in Taipei City.

Taipei Police Commissioner Lee Hsi-ho (李西河) told the city council that police had reviewed relevant online data, asked the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) for assistance, and notified local precincts to strengthen safety measures at the schools.

Lu Chun-hung (盧俊宏), chief of the city police's Criminal Investigation Division, said precincts were alerted immediately after the message was received and that they reported nothing suspicious at campuses on first inspections.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it received a notice from the NPA that an unidentified person had threatened to place bombs on campuses in Taipei City and New Taipei.

The K-12 Education Administration said it received the alert at 6 a.m. through its security control system and notified schools so they could "cooperate with local police units and carry out campus security reporting."

The administration said it also asked the Taipei City Department of Education and the New Taipei City Education Department to continue strengthening campus security measures, increase campus-patrol frequency, times, and routes, and "pay attention to suspicious individuals."

The Taipei City Department of Education said it activated the campus security mechanism upon receiving the notice and requested schools to strengthen access control and campus patrols.

The department said "no actual danger or signs of explosives have been found."