The threatening message about the existence of a bomb that was sent today to several schools, primary and secondary schools throughout Cyprus is proving to be of low risk, with the Police continuing both the on-site investigation and the tests to identify the sender. This was stated by the Police Spokesman Christos Andreou at KYPE, noting that both Interpol and Europol are assisting in the efforts of the Police to locate the sender.
In his statements to KYPE, Mr. Andreou said this morning the Police were informed by the Ministry of Education that during the morning hours, a large number of public schools, primary and secondary, had received an electronic message in their official e-mail accounts , with threatening content, and as it was found, noted Mr. Andreou, it is the same message and the same sender.
"It appears to have been sent from a foreign country and is related to this particular content," he said.
Afterwards, Mr. Andreou told KYPE, a meeting was convened at the Police Headquarters in which the Chief and the Deputy Chief took part as well as officers of the Force, the Ministry of Education under the General Director and the Directors of all levels of education.
During the meeting, he added, actions were evaluated and coordinated, while from the first moment instructions were given to the school units to follow the protocol that applies in such cases, while at the same time the Police began conducting on-site examinations.
Asked what the schools' protocol provides for, Mr. Andreou said that initially the children are removed from the classrooms and at the same time the Police are notified.
"From the first moment, the Police has been conducting all the necessary tests, while at the same time continuing the investigation of the case", he said and pointed out that assistance has already been requested in the investigations of Interpol and Europol.
Answering a question from KYPE, Mr. Andreou said that so far from the on-site examinations in the schools, the Police has not found any suspicious object and "the specific threat is assessed as low risk and does not inspire any cause for concern at this stage". .
When asked how the schools continue to operate, Mr. Andreou said that in the units where nothing was detected, the operation continued, and added that the on-site examinations of the members of the Police are coming to an end.
Asked about the role of the Ministry at this moment and also during the day, Mr. Andreou said that he took over the coordination between the schools and the Police.
"The situation has been assessed, we are coordinating our actions," he said and reiterated that based on the evidence, the threat is assessed as low risk.
In a question that is now being investigated by the Police, Mr. Andreou stated that with the assistance of Europop and Interpol as well as the electronic crime sub-directorate, the goal is to identify the sender.
However, many schools, after communicating with the Police and the Ministry of Education, sent reassuring messages to the students' parents, informing them that these schools are in communication with the authorities and there is no cause for concern.
In some other schools, parents received a message that following instructions from the Police and the Ministry, the children remain in the school yard until further notice.
Police Announcement
The Police this morning, Friday, May 17, received information that, in the morning hours, the Directorates of a number of public primary and secondary schools throughout Cyprus received an email with the same content in their official email accounts (e-mail) and sent from the same sender and the same email address, which has been found to be sent from a foreign country and concerns content that has already been published in the media.
A meeting was immediately convened at the Police Headquarters, in which the Chief of Police, the Deputy Chief of Police, the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, as well as Directors and officials of the two Services took part.
From the first moment, early this morning, in coordination with the Police and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, instructions were given to the School Principals, to implement the relevant energy protocols that are followed in such cases, while at the same time the Police from the takes all the necessary actions at the first moment.
The Police continue to investigate the case, while they have already requested the assistance of Interpol and Europol.
