MOSCOW, January 24 (RAPSI) - The Russian Government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that toughens the punishment for making false reports of terrorist attacks. A crime of this kind which causes significant damage may be punishable by up to five years in prison, according to the lower house of parliament.

The bill extends Article 207 of the Criminal Code by an extra paragraph that stipulates cases where the crime “causes considerable damage or other severe consequences.” If proved, the crime may be punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 rubles ($14,650), the offender’s salary or other income over a period ranging from 18 months to three years, or a prison sentence of up to five years.

Considerable damage is qualified as damage of over 1 million rubles ($29,300).

Currently, making a false report of a terrorist attack or arson is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($5,860) or the offender’s salary or other income over an 18 month period. The maximum prison term for the crime is three years.

The explanatory note to the bill specifies that the law was drafted due to an average 15% increase in the number of false reports over the past five years. Some 1,583 anonymous calls reporting false terrorist threats were registered in 2009; 1,864 were registered in 2010; 2,279 in 2011; 2,672 in 2012 and 2,679 in 2013 (as of November 30, 2013).

Two terrorist bombings in as many days killed more than 30 people in the city of Volgograd just before the New Year’s holidays. The city is a gateway between Russia’s North Caucasus, where insurgent attacks remain frequent, and the rest of the country.

There has been widespread concern for the security of the Sochi Winter Olympics, slated to open February 7, following the attacks.