F-18s take off after student told friends he was a member of the Taliban before boarding the plane

Aditya Verma was taken out of the plane after landing and a search began. Photo: DMS/GC/SOLARPIX

A British man who told his friends on Snapchat that he was a Taliban terrorist and was planning to blow up the plane he boarded told his trial in Spain that it was “just a joke.”

A terror alert was sounded and two fighter jets were scrambled to escort an easyJet flight from Gatwick to Menorca, where 20-year-old Aditya Verma was traveling with friends after they completed their A-level courses in July 2022.

Mr Verma was escorted as the plane landed and searches began.

The message Mr Verma sent to friends with a selfie before taking off from Gatwick Airport read: “I'm going to blow up the plane (I'm a member Taliban),” the court was told.

The message was brought to the attention of UK security services after an alarm was triggered on the Wi-Fi server at Gatwick.

While the easyJet aircraft was in the air and heading towards Minorca, Spanish authorities were alerted and two F-18 fighter jets were sent to flank the aircraft.

«Ever since school it was a joke because of my features… Just to make people laugh»; Photo: MMN/NPZ/SOLARPIX

Speaking in a Madrid court on Monday, Mr Verma said the message was «a joke in a private group».

“It was just sent to my friends. I was traveling with him that day,” he said.

When asked why the remark about the Taliban could be considered funny, Mr. Verma said, “Ever since school, it was a joke because of my features… It was just to make people laugh.”

When asked what went through his mind when he saw the fighter jets surrounding the plane, Mr. Verma explained that “there was a Russian-Ukrainian war going on, so I thought it was a military exercise related to [this] conflict.”

Mr. Verma has been charged with disturbing the peace.

Mr Verma's lawyer told the court her client's comment was made in a private group that was intercepted by British authorities. Photo: BORJA SANCHEZ-TRILLO/POOL/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

If found guilty, Spanish prosecutors will seek a fine of €22,500 (£19,300).

He also faces an account of 95,000 euros (81,400 pounds) as compensation to the Ministry of Defense of Spain for the cost of lifting its aircraft into the air. He was under arrest and interrogated by the Spanish police for two days before he was released on bail.

Returning to British land, he was questioned by Mi-5 and Mi-6 employees, and then returned home to Orpington to south of London.

The defender of Mr. Verma told the National Court of Spain that her client’s commentary was a “bad joke”, but he was made in a private group that the British authorities intercepted in violation of his right to inviolability of private life .

“Aditya did not post his message on Facebook or advertise it. What he did was equivalent to a joke in a car with friends, ”she said.

“ This boy was 18 years old, and he began the holidays that became a reward for his school successes. When he and his friends landed on Menorc, they realized that they were in a nightmare, ”the lawyer concluded.