Bag containing bomb goes undetected at Delhi airport – Check what happens next

A bag containing a 'bomb' has gone undetected through the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport's security checks. However, the incident was just part of a drill to check how effective are the security arrangements at the airport.

New Delhi: A bag containing a 'bomb' has gone undetected through the security checks at the Indira Gandhi International airport here, raising serious security concerns at one of India's busiest airports. However, it was just a drill carried out by the aviation officials.

The Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has been conducting mock security checks for the past three months at various airports including Delhi and Pune. Unfortunately, the IGI could not pass the security test.

“To ensure that security at airports is at its best and personnel are well aware, we keep conducting dummy checks to know the level of alertness. In April, a drill was conducted where components of improvised explosive device were kept in a bag by a BCAS official. The CISF missed it,” said a civil aviation official.

As reported by the Hindustan Times, parts of an improvised explosive device were put in a hand bag without a detonator. The security officials failing to detect it, the civil aviation officials made an easy entry to the airport.

Also, the hand baggage security check post of Air India to Jammu flunked to identify the bomb. It was only after the CISF officials were informed about the test that they get to know about it.

“We have prepared a report listing incidents where CISF failed to notice components of IED in the bag. We keep wires, some explosives and some other parts in bags,” the official said.

Defending their setbacks, the CISF said they take necessary action and provide security training to all those staff who fail to perform their duties.

“Though, we take action against our staff, the BCAS conduct dummy checks by keeping random items related with making a bomb. Sometimes, it is without a detonator, making it all the more difficult to detect. In some cases, we have even suspended the staff,” a CISF official said.

For better concentration, the CISF personnel also rotate baggage screener every hour, reported HT.

“We have an in-built software through which we throw random images of bomb, knives and other prohibited items and if our staff fail to detect it, we take action against them. This also helps us keep them alert,” the official added.