What happened

In the summer of 2022, Aditya Verma shared a Snapchat message with a friend while boarding a flight from London Gatwick Airport to Spain: “I will blow up the plane. I am a member of the Taliban”. The message was a joke, but the man didn’t take into account one thing: He was using the airport’s Wi-Fi network.

Hours later, when Verma arrived at his destination, he was arrested by the local police and thrown into a jail cell. She remained there for two days before being released on bail.

As it turned out later, the message on Snapchat was intercepted by British security services, who reported the “explosive” comment to the Spanish authorities. Spain then flew two F-18 fighter jets to escort the plane carrying Verma until it reached its destination.

Aditya Verma being interrogated in Spain / Photo by EPA

But the boy’s problems did not end there. After his release He was questioned by several British intelligence agencies, including MI5 and MI6, who were investigating whether he had links to terrorist organisations.. Although authorities eventually decided that Verma did not actually pose a threat to national security, the Spanish government still charged him with public nuisance. Now he may have to pay a huge fine, some of which will cover the cost of deploying Spanish warplanes. This penalty can be up to $120,000.

Verma’s lawyer defended Verma, saying the teenager “did not post his message on Facebook and did not advertise it publicly,” so it was “equivalent to joking around with friends in the car.”