Almaty man sentenced to 4 years and fined 3 million tenge for fake bomb threats

Tengrinews.kz - A 44-year-old resident of Almaty has been sentenced to four years in prison for repeatedly making false bomb threats targeting railway stations.
According to the press service of the Main Transport Prosecutor’s Office, the man was found guilty under Article 273 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code — “Knowingly false report of an act of terrorism.”
While serving a sentence in a correctional facility, the convict made four phone calls from a payphone, falsely claiming that explosive devices had been planted at railway stations. Each call prompted an emergency response involving evacuations, building inspections, and the deployment of canine units and bomb squads.

“His actions led to evacuations and mobilization of emergency services. The false alarms caused over 3.3 million tenge in damages to public agencies,” the transport prosecutor’s office stated.

Forensic analysis confirmed that the inmate made the calls and contained explicit threats in his statements. Taking into account the repeat nature of the offense, the court handed down a four-year prison sentence.
In addition to serving time, the offender has been ordered to fully reimburse the damages and compensate affected organizations.

“The Transport Prosecutor’s Office warns that such crimes undermine public safety and have serious consequences,” the statement added.

Earlier, another Almaty resident found himself in legal trouble for joking while preparing to board a flight.