Hyderabad: At least 12 passengers have been booked by security officials for carrying arms and ammunition without permission at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport this year. Most of them were military and paramilitary officials; there were also civilians including students.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) rules say that no one, including those holding weapon licences, is allowed to carry arms and ammunition into aircraft.
The passengers can, with special permission, carry them in the checked-in baggage. Even in these cases, the passenger has to pack the weapon and the ammunition separately.
Cyberabad police officials said they detain and investigate passengers irrespective of background if weapons are found. “In May first week a CRPF jawan was caught with a bullet. He said he had forgotten to remove the bullet from his baggage after a training session. We booked a case and informed his commandant. We will proceed depending on their reply,” said RGI Shamshabad inspector T. Sudhakar. This was standard procedure, he said.
Earlier, the police had detained an Iraqi student who had purchased a bullet in the old city and packed it in his luggage while he was returning home. He was duly booked. All such cases are under investigation at the police station. None has been convicted so far. If a civilian is caught with arms and possesses no licence, he is booked under the Arms Act.
