British citizen, Aditya Verma, stands trial in Spanish court for making a false bomb threat on a plane.

A British man is currently on trial in Spain for charges of public disorder after making a joke about blowing up a flight on Snapchat. Aditya Verma sent the message to his friends before departing from Gatwick airport to Menorca in July 2022. The message stated, "On my way to blow up the plane (I'm a member of the Taliban)." Verma claimed in a Madrid court that his intention was never to cause harm or distress to the public. However, if found guilty, he may have to pay for the expenses incurred from the Spanish Air Force scrambling two fighter jets. The UK security services alerted Spanish authorities about the message while the easyJet plane was still in flight. It was assumed that the message triggered concern after being intercepted through Gatwick's Wi-Fi network. Following this, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets escorted the aircraft until it landed in Menorca, where it underwent an extensive search. Verma, who was 18 at the time, was arrested and spent two days in a police cell before being released on bail. After returning to the UK, he was questioned by British intelligence agencies before returning to his home in Orpington, Kent. In court, Verma argued that the Snapchat message was only intended as a joke among his friends and that he sent it due to past experiences of being teased about his appearance. He believed the fighter jets were part of a military exercise related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Police experts examined Verma's phone and did not find any evidence connecting him to jihadist radicalism, although they discovered that he had conducted research on clashes between Pakistan and India and the potential for an Islamic State attack in the region. While Verma is not facing terrorism charges or imprisonment, he could be fined up to €22,500 if found guilty, and the Spanish defense ministry is requesting €95,000 to cover expenses.