Author of Spain hoax bomb threats detained

A man who called in a false bomb threat to Palma Cathedral has been arrested.

The 39-year-old, who was detained in Santiago de Compostela but lives in Madrid, burst onto the set of a live news broadcast on Spanish state TV station TVE at 9pm on April 2.

He had started making hoax calls on March 31, claiming bombs had been planted in the Cathedrals of Leon, Santiago and Palma de Mallorca, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada, the Prado Museum and the Crystal Tower in Madrid or the City of Arts in Valencia.

He had also made threats to media headquarters throughout Spain, including Malaga, Valencia and Alicante.

The day before he was arrested, he claimed there were bombs in Santiago de Compostela Airport and one of the city’s university buildings.

The calls caused some alarm, people had to be evacuated and bomb squads were called in, but none of the searches revealed any explosives.

In the case of Palma, he called saying he had planted a bomb and that the building should be evacuated. However, the tone of his voice made the recipient suspect it was a joke.

The police were called and the building was searched, revealing a lost backpack but no explosives. Although visitors were surprised to see police in the cathedral there was no panic.

He could face six months to a year in prison or fined.