Unattended bags cause security scare at Mumbai airport

Two unattended bags at terminal 1-B at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport had security agencies in a tizzy, with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) immediately being pressed into service. Within minutes, the luggage was recovered by two girls, who had stowed it near the VIP lounge while they went to grab a bite.

While unaccompanied baggage is always looked at suspiciously, security personnel at India’s busiest airport were particularly alert, following reports of an alleged Al Qaeda threat to their Southern counterparts. The threat came in an anonymous letter found on Wednesday by a sweeper in a room being built at Tiruchirapalli airport. The civil aviation ministry and other agencies then directed airports to adopt measures for heightened security.

“While no red alert has been sounded, security has been beefed up,’’ said Sanjay Prakash, CISF Senior Commandant (Mumbai). The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is responsible for airport security across India. Enhanced security measures include strict access control, heightened surveillance, increased profiling, X-ray and physical checks of hand baggage and restrictions on carrying liquid and gels on board aircraft. Airlines have also been asked to increase the number of ladder point checks. Visitor entry has not been banned.

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