A man who allegedly made false bomb threats that affected flights in five Chinese cities was caught Friday afternoon in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province, local police said on Saturday.

Over a three-minute period on Friday, police in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou received phone calls claiming there were bombs on airplanes bound for Shanghai.

Police started an investigation immediately and caught a 43-year-old man surnamed Ji in less than two hours. Ji confessed to having made the threats.

On Wednesday, bomb threats were also made against five flights flying to Shenzhen. On Thursday, police apprehended a male suspect who allegedly made the threats in Dongguan, Guangdong Province.

At least 10 false bomb threats were reported in China last year, leading to significant losses for airlines and airports.

According to China's criminal law, those who intentionally disturb flight operations by fabricating and spreading terrorism-related information may receive punishments ranging from a jail term of less than five years, or longer if the actions had severe consequences.

Global Times - Xinhua