Police today said they are stepping up patrols throughout the Taipei MRT system, after a social media user threatened to detonate a bomb at an unspecified station this afternoon.
Although they strongly believe the threat to be unsubstantiated, Taipei Metro police and the Railway Police Bureau still said that security and patrols would be heightened through the system.
Many copycat messages have been posted since Friday’s stabbing attacks at Taipei Main Station and near Zhongshan MRT Station that left three dead and 11 injured, police said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Last night, a Threads user in a post said they would detonate a bomb on the Taipei MRT system at 1:30pm today, without specifying where.
The metro police said officers have increased patrols between stations and are thoroughly searching areas such as trash cans, restrooms and stairwells.
The bureau also said it has dispatched officers to stations shared with the MRT, including Songshan, Nangang, Taipei Main and Banqiao stations in close conjunction with local police.
Taiwan Railway Corp said it has increased security at its stations integrated with metro systems nationwide.
The stations include Songshan, Nangang and Taipei railway stations in Taipei; Banqiao station in New Taipei City; Songzhu, Daqing and Xinwuri stations in Taichung; and Xinzuoying in Kaohsiung.
The Taipei Police Department has also stepped up security, deploying 1,579 officers throughout the city, with 320 stationed at metro facilities.
Additional reporting by CNA
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