A labourer was arrested for allegedly making a hoax call about a bomb at Mangaluru International Airport on Thursday.

According to the police, Vasanth (33), a resident of Karkala taluk in Udupi district, had sent a text and called former airport director M R Vasudeva, and told him that a bomb was planted at the Mangaluru airport on Wednesday.

�After Vasudeva received the threat call, he informed airport director VV Rao. Rao immediately activated the bomb threat assessment committee of Mangaluru International airport and checked the entire airport but found nothing,� police said.

Airport authorities filed a complaint at Bajpe police station, following which Vasanth was arrested.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner, Vikash Kumar Vikash, told sources: �The person, who was identified as Vasanth, has been arrested. We are questioning him and a probe is underway. During this time, the operation at the airport remained unaffected while the security agencies have conducted a thorough check.�

A case under sections 505 (1) (B) (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code and section 3(1)(d) of Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, has been registered.

In January this year, police arrested a a mentally-disturbed man for planting a live explosive device in a bag near a ticket counter at the departure gate of the Mangaluru airport. The bomb was defused at a nearby open ground.