Jobless Pakistani man threatens to blow up Dubai landmarks

Dubai: A jobless man faced criminal charges on Wednesday for calling a police number and threatening to blow up the city's key landmarks, including Dubai International Airport, after watching a Bollywood movie, court records revealed.

Pleads guilty

When asked by Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir Fahmi about the charges, the 31-year-old Pakistani defendant, H.A., pleaded guilty to threatening to set off bombs at the airport, malls and Dubai's skyscrapers, but claimed that he did not know whom he was calling.

The suspect told the court that he was in a bad psychological state and made the threat after watching an Indian movie.

"I have no job, no income. When I called the police, I didn't realise what I was doing," he told the judge.

H.A., a driver from Sharjah, allegedly called police officers at Dubai International Airport at around 9.05am last August 22 and told them that bombs had been planted in various parts of the city and might explode anytime.

He then demanded Dh1 million to stop the bombs from exploding, court records revealed. The suspect allegedly also demanded the release of a group of Bangladeshis jailed in Sharjah for a murder case, records revealed.

The court is expected to issue a verdict on January 30.