An American national was arrested from Biju Patnaik Airport here on Wednesday for illegal possession of live bullets. The matter came to light when he was undergoing security check before boarding a chartered helicopter at the airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel seized at least eight 0.22 calibre bullets from the luggage of 25-year-old American who was identified as William Michael Hurtubise.
An engineer by profession, the Houston-based William was about to board a chartered helicopter to Paradip at around 8 am. He had arrived here on Tuesday and was staying in a hotel. An employee of US-based STX Service Engineers, he was to take the helicopter, pre-booked by his company, for an engine inspection of Vantage Drilling Company at Paradip.
The American said he did not know that carrying ammunition in a flight was an offence in India. “I had forgotten that I had the bullets left in my bag and they have been lying there for the past six months’’. William said he used those bullets for target shooting and hunting back home and that he possessed an American arms licence but was not carrying it with him.
Interestingly, William has been travelling with the same bag for last six months but the security scanners at different airports failed to detect the bullets. He had boarded an Air India flight from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to Bhubaneswar but the authorities at Delhi Airport failed to detect the bullets lying in his medical kit.
William has been charged under Section 25 (1)(a) of Arms Act, 1959 for illegal possession of ammunition without any licence. Police said he will be produced before a local court after further questioning.
William said he did not know anyone in Odisha and that the agent representing his company has reportedly denied any help. He is likely to approach the US embassy but said he did not have any resources to do so. “I am being honest, I did not want to hurt anyone. I do not even have a gun,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources at the US embassy said that they have been informed about the arrest and the American Citizen Services section is dealing with the situation.