KUALA LUMPUR: The number of bomb threats made against schools have increased to 51 as of today, say police.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the additional reports were made due to schools only discovering the email quite late despite receiving it around the same time as others.
"Overall, a total of 10 investigation papers have been opened by the police throughout Malaysia under Section 507 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he said during a press conference at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman, here.
Shuhaily also provided the breakdown of police reports lodged in states namely Selangor (18), Kuala Lumpur (seven), Johor (six), Sarawak (five), Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Kedah (three each), and Sabah (two).
Suhaily said police would continue its investigation and were trying to reach authorities from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through Interpol.
Previously, it was reported that the emails were sent out by two email addresses newly created under 'Taktstorer' and 'Takstorer' via Beeble.com email service provider.
Razarudin said the email address 'Taktstorer' which means troublemaker/ peace disruptor in German has never been used to send out any emails prior to this. The original text in the bomb scare email was written in English and later translated to Bahasa Malaysia using a translating application.
He had said that the content of the email was exactly the same as the one sent to 70 schools in Jamaica on November 12 this year.
In that case, the suspect was identified as a person who suffered abuse when he was a child and was deprived of attention in his schooling days.
Despite that, the suspect had IT software knowledge and capability to hide his identity.
Razarudin said the case is being investigated under Section 507 of the Penal Code for deliberately causing criminal intimidation and under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.
He gave his assurance that schools, students and teachers are not at risk of a potential bombing and the situation is safe.