Threat mail has airports on alert

An e-mail threatening blasts at Indian airports on January 12 has prompted the authorities to further strengthen security measures.

An e-mail threatening blasts at Indian airports on January 12 has prompted the authorities to further strengthen security measures. The e-mail received by an Air India call centre in Gurgaon’s Udyog Vihar from unknown persons did not mention any specific airport. But security agencies are not leaving anything to chance since this is the peak tourist season and a large number of foreign tourists come to India during Christmas and New Year. The heightened security drill will continue till the end of January so that nothing untoward happens on or around Republic Day, official sources said.

Following the e-mail, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) late on Monday evening issued a circular to all the airlines to be ‘extra-cautious’ and to increase checks at each point before the passengers board the plane. A set of security guidelines has been dispatched by BCAS. “We received a mail from BCAS at around 7:00 pm and we will be closely following the guidelines,” said a senior official of Kingfisher Airlines.

The threat e-mail was received on call.delhi@airindia.in at 11:00 am on Saturday. The assistant manager (security) of Air India, Harish Masand, had reported this matter to Udyog Vihar police station in Gurgaon. A case under section 506 IPC for criminal intimidation was registered on Sunday. Gurgoan’s cyber cell is investigating the case. Employees of the call centre were being questioned and attempts were being made to trace the IP address from which the mail was sent.

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“We are taking the threat seriously and have increased security at all prominent airports. There will be intensive baggage checking and all the vehicles entering airport premises will be scanned,” said CISF spokesperson, Vertul Singh.

Airports across the country are already in a state of high alert after a hijack call to Kanpur Air Traffic Control (ATC) on December 3. The call threatening that a Delhi-Kanpur Alliance Air morning flight would be hijacked and had a bomb on board proved to be hoax and the flight carrying 42 passengers left in the afternoon after a thorough check. But it was reason enough for BCAS to ask the Airports Authority of India and all airports to be extra vigilant.

Airports were advised to strengthen perimeter checking and even go in for ladder-point security when passengers board the aircraft wherever the situation warranted it. Airport authorities have also been asked to restrict entry of visitors if they noticed overcrowding, an official said.