HYDERABAD: Most of the air passengers who were held at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport for having live ammunition in their lugagge were seemingly unaware of carrying them. Interesting? While some with no valid license had procured them from friends and forgot to remove from their bags before boarding, the foreign nationals caught were simply not aware that doing this was illegal in India. In recent times, a surge has been observed in the number of such incidents.
According to airport officials, passengers are not caught when they land at the airport where baggages are not checked, except under suspicious conditions, but while leaving the city or the country when everything is screened in detail.
As per guidelines laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), only persons on duty or persons taking part in any sports competitions can carry weapons in a flight and only after getting a clearance from the BCAS.
If any of the licensed holders or on-duty personnel fail to comply with these norms they are not to be allowed to board the flight. For foreigners, especially in countries like USA, the citizens get ammunition when they undergo army training and sometimes forget to handover the left over bullets.
Carrying them is not illegal in US airspace, but for Indian flyers, keeping ammunition with them is a prestige issue even though many are not aware that it is forbidden under the law. Although there is no harm or threat in just carrying ammunition without arms, it is prohibited as per the Indian Arms Act. Hence they land up in trouble.
Carrying ammunition is not allowed anywhere in the country unless it is licensed and has a valid purpose, said one official.
“When passengers land at any airport, the customs sleuths or from other agencies check only baggage or passengers with suspicious activity or only when they are following a tip off against a passenger.
But when flying out of an airport, every person and each baggage is thoroughly screened, so that nothing hazardous enters the flight. Many passengers aware of the ammunition in their possession forget to remove it from their baggage during air travel. Some also seem to forget to deposit the ammunition in the armoury or with the local authorities from where they procured them in the first place.”
As per the aviation security guidelines, any licensed weapon holder, sportspersons participating in shooting competitions, on duty personnel including police and army personnel need to take an approval from authorities concerned and submit their weapon and ammunition with the BACS at the airport before boarding a flight, specifying the purpose of carrying them.
The weapons and ammunition are then earmarked for the flight and the flyer can only receive them on landing at his destination airport through the BACS.