Panic gripped the NSC Bose International airport today after a Mexican passenger abroad the Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight from Bangkok threatened that he was carrying a bomb. Febles Ortiz Eduwardo Antonio, allegedly inebriated, had started with lewd comments to an airhostess, to which a co-passenger had objected. Antonio promptly beat him up, at which, the cabin crew got involved trying to pacify him. The pilot asked for a medical emergency for both passengers. It was then, that Antonio threatened to blow up the plane, triggering off a security alert.Mahesh Kal, general manager (operations) at the airport, said: “Antonio had threatened the cabin crew that he had kept explosives below his seat.” The pilot declared full emergency — usually used only in case of hijacking — and asked the Kolkata air control for permission for emergency landing.The aircraft IC 854-82 landed at 3.20 pm. Passengers were whisked out and a thorough check-up of the hand baggages ensued.There were 82 passengers on board, said airport officials. An alert was declared at the airport too, with security forces cordoning off the aircraft and the entry and exit points of both national and international terminus plugged. The bomb disposal squad of the Central Investigation Department (CID) also rushed to the spot and checked the vacated aircraft. But no explosive or weapon was found.“The security personnel did not get any objectionable item from any passengers’ baggages,” said Samik Bhattacharya, deputy manager, public relations, Indian Airlines. After interrogation by immigration officials and security agencies, Antonio was arrested and handed over to the West Bengal police. He was taken to the airport police station and is scheduled to be produced to court tommorow.
