CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police are looking for answers after a bomb threat hoax Wednesday night shut down Lunken Airport.
Capt. Joe Richardson said police received an anonymous call around 8 p.m. that someone planted bombs at Lunken Airport. The call came from outside Hamilton County and the person demanded a ransom "or all these bombs are going to explode," Richardson said.
"It was a voice-over-internet kind of thing, which automatically makes you think swatting," Richardson said. "We can't just assume it's a false run, so we got ahold of the FBI, the FAA."
Richardson said the airport tower was closed temporarily as CPD, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and more searched the area. A WCPO crew at the scene said officers are walking around the airport with bomb-sniffing dogs.
No threat was located and police concluded their search before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police said an investigation is underway into the source of the call.
Cyber security expert Jim Gast said this is an example of corporate swatting.
“It's swatting, it's corporate swatting, there's no question about it,” he said. “This isn't something that's new, it's been around for a while. What you're seeing is organizations or individuals, finding creative ways to actually hold companies for ransom.”
Swatting may not be new, but there has certainly been an uptick.
Cincinnati Police said the call at Lunken Airport is just one of many swatting calls they’ve responded to in the past month. Multiple Kroger stores have been evacuated in the Tri-State following bomb threats — none of which were credible.
“I think it's gonna get worse before it gets better,” Gast said. “I think that law enforcement has to put in new tactics to actually thwart these swatting events.”
Gast said it is difficult to track down the source of these calls, but it can be done.
"Over time, progress is gonna be made, there's no question about it. Somebody's going to go to jail eventually, I guarantee it,” Gast said.
Police said the hoax calls drain law enforcement resources.
"This is a huge thing, we've had to call in resources from our department, other departments, the federal government,” Richardson said. “It’s a big hassle."
CPD said there’s nothing that leads them to believe the recent swatting incidents are connected, however they are still investigating to determine the source of the recent swatting calls.
As Ohio — and the rest of the country — continues to see a rise in these false alarm calls, lawmakers worked to make swatting a felony. Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 462 in April. Anyone who reports false or misleading information to a law enforcement agency, emergency service provider or public safety answering point can be found guilty of a fourth-degree felony.
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