French police stand guard in front of the Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) as tourists enter again after the Palace was evacuated for security reasons, in Versailles, near Paris, France, October 17, 2023.
REUTERS/Clotaire Achi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - France, already on its highest security alert, is to boost security at airports around the capital and on trains after a wave of bomb hoaxes, the transport minister said on Sunday.
Alongside the heightened risk, there were "people who are playing with fear", he said, referring to the wave of fake bomb alerts that have hit transport networks, schools and cultural centres over the last week.
Since last Wednesday, there have been 70 bomb hoaxes in airports in France, he said, adding that almost all of these alerts were sent from the same Swiss-based email address.
Beaune told France Inter that hoaxes are not "small jokes, they are serious crimes" and that they will be investigated.
Persons:
Chateau, Clotaire, Clement Beaune, Layli Foroudi, Nick Macfie
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, ., SNCF, France Inter, Thomson
Locations:
Versailles, Paris, France, Arras, Europe, Beaune, Swiss