Bomb threat to Jet’s London flight

Security checks for all London-bound flights from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai will be very stringent over the next few days, barely two months after the UK police foiled a terror plot to blow up planes flying international routes. The alert came amid a visit by British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett to Mumbai, but is not connected to her trip. It follows “a very specific threat call’’ to the Jet Airways call centre in Andheri in the wee hours of November 5.

The unidentified caller warned of a bomb on Jet’s Wednesday flight to London. The airline operates a daily service to London, flight 9W 120, which departs for Heathrow at 2:20 am from Mumbai. While Jet Airways declined comment, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for security at the airport is taking no chances and confirmed additional security cover for all London-bound flights. ‘‘We don’t know whether the call was hoax or genuine,’’ said Sanjay Prakash, CISF Senior Commandant. “The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) will be deployed tonight at the terminal building. The dog squad will also be there.’’

In addition to 100 per cent X-Ray and manual checking of cabin baggage, frisking of passengers will be more stringent. No additional CISF personnel have been deputed, but ‘‘secondary ladder-point checks will also be done on all flights to London tonight’’, Prakash added. While Jet Airways flights will be closely monitored over the next few days, the security agencies will “assess the situation again tomorrow’’. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the matter. ‘‘There is no breakthrough yet. We are monitoring vehicles entering the international terminal and have increased security on the city side access,’’ said Shashikant Shinde, DCP Zone VIII.

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