Saturday, April 07, 2018

Every 4th flyer on IGI airport carrying suspicious substances, claims CISF

Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) and customs are struggling to differentiate passengers and smugglers at IGI Airport as every fourth passenger is found carrying powder-like substance that resembles drugs, officials said.

In one such case, airport authorities were rendered helpless when they had to detain a female passenger almost for a day after she was found carrying brown sugar like powder in a handkerchief tied on her purse. She was detained, grilled for hours and treated like a criminal.
After almost 20 hours, the lab reports confirmed that the brown sugar-like substance was actually almond powder. Mail Today learnt that the woman was supposed to board a flight from IGI last month. During her security check, small quantity of brown sugar-like powder was found tied in a handkerchief. When the staff enquired, she said it was only almond powder as she is habitual of eating it.

"I often carry almond powder while travelling. I keep it in my handbag so that I can eat it wherever I feel like," she told the security staff member."I carry it in my handkerchief and casually had tied that handkerchief with the belt of my handbag. As that handkerchief was looking good with my handbag," she replied when a counter question came about why she tied the handkerchief on her bag.

She kept on claiming that the brown sugar-like substance is merely almond powder, but the security staff did not believe her.

She even tried to taste that in front of them but she was asked to not to touch her belongings anymore. All of them were taken into custody.
Within hours, her bank statement, character record, her familys details were taken out by the airport authorities. During investigation, it was found that her name as mentioned in the identity proofs and flight tickets were not matching. There was a spelling error in her name. She was forced to sit in a room where she was interrogated. Her mobile phone was also taken into the custody, making her deal the situation all alone.

Meanwhile, the suspicious substance was sent to the lab for examination only to confirm that it was pure almond powder.

Before releasing her with a clean chit and booking another flight where she was bound to depart, the authorities warned her not to repeat it again. "Passengers like you create double-trouble for yourself and for the security as well," were the farewell words said to her.
07/04/18 Chayyanika Nigam/India Today
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