Threats to Schools in Indonesia
In a troubling incident, three international schools in Indonesia were threatened with bombings unless a ransom of $30,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) was paid. The threats, which originated from an untraceable source using a Nigerian phone number, were disseminated via WhatsApp, targeting an educational institution in North Jakarta and two others in the surrounding South Tangerang area.
Details of the Threat
The anonymous communicator ominously claimed to have planted explosives on campus and warned that they would detonate them if the demands were not met within 45 minutes.
A message for EVERYONE. We have bombs in your school. The bombs are set to go off in 45 minutes if you do not agree to pay us $30,000 to our Bitcoin address.
read the chilling message.
In this alarming communication, the sender included explicit instructions not to contact law enforcement, threatening immediate action if authorities were alerted. However, disregarding the threats, the schools reported the bomb scare to the police, who promptly responded to the situation.
Police Response and Investigation
Law enforcement officers, including the Bomb Disposal Team from the police department, conducted a thorough investigation of the campuses. Their efforts to secure the areas and ensure safety concluded without discovering any explosives. South Tangerang Police Chief AKBP Victor Inkiriwang confirmed,
We conducted a sweep and secured the area, thank God, but no explosives or bombs were found.
In a similar operation, Commissioner Seto Handoko of the Kelapa Gading Police reported that the North Jakarta Intercultural School was also safe, stating,
The sterilization results are safe, there are no bombs.
Investigation into the Ransom Demand
To understand the nature of the Bitcoin ransom demand, authorities coordinated with a national cryptocurrency association to investigate the validity of the wallet address provided. Unfortunately, on-chain analysis revealed that the wallet was invalid and did not appear on any Indonesian crypto exchange, raising questions about the motivations behind the threats.
Conclusion
As investigations continue, officials have yet to identify the individual responsible for the messages or their underlying motives. Thankfully, no further threats have been reported among other schools in Indonesia, allowing students and staff to return to their daily routines without fear.
