Police Suspect Bomb Threats That Closed NZ Schools Originated Overseas

A spate of emails, all from the same source, were sent to schools and hospitals across New Zealand over several months, causing evacuations at some.
Police Suspect Bomb Threats That Closed NZ Schools Originated Overseas
Senior students attend school in Auckland, New Zealand, on Oct. 26, 2021. Phil Walter/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
Updated:

A string of detailed emails that claimed bombs had been planted at New Zealand schools and hospitals and which continued over many months may have come from overseas, police investigations have revealed.

Beginning in November 2023 and continuing into January 2024, emails described by police as “of a concerning nature” were received across the country. From the start, police said they believed they were from the same source, and tasked cybercrime officers with identifying the sender.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.