The British student never imagined that a "heavy" joke could lead him to jail. He told his friends on Snapchat that he was a terrorist from the Taliban and that he was about to blow up the plane he was on. Immediately, an alert was issued, and two fighter jets were sent to escort an easyJet flight from Gatwick to Menorca, where 18-year-old Aditya Verma was traveling with his friends after finishing their A-level studies in 2022.
A young Englishman named Aditya Verma made the comment on Snapchat on his way to the island of Menorca with friends in July 2022. The message, sent before Verma departed from Gatwick Airport, read: "On my way to blow up the plane (I'm a member of the...)".
Verma was escorted off the plane upon landing, and a security investigation began. The message he sent to his friends included a selfie taken before leaving Gatwick Airport: "On my way to blow up the plane (I'm a member of the Taliban)". British security agencies were alerted to the message after an alarm was triggered inside the WiFi server at Gatwick Airport. As the easyJet flight was in the air heading towards Menorca, Spanish authorities were notified, and two F-18 fighter jets were dispatched to surround the aircraft.
During his trial, the young man affirmed that he was joking with his friends. Verma stated in court in Madrid that the message was "a joke in a private group." When asked why he considered a note about the Taliban funny, Verma explained: "Since school, it was a joke because of my appearance. It was just to make people laugh." When asked what went through his mind when he saw the fighter jets surrounding the plane, Verma clarified that "the war between Russia and Ukraine was happening, so I thought it was a military exercise related to that conflict."
Verma was charged with disturbing public order. If convicted, the Spanish prosecutor will seek a fine of €22,500. He also faces a bill of €95,000 to compensate the Spanish Ministry of Defense for the cost of the mission involving its aircraft. The 18-year-old was detained and questioned by Spanish police for two days before being released on bail. Upon returning to British territory, he was questioned by local authorities.
