US engineer held with bullets at Odisha airport

An American engineer was arrested Wednesday from the Biju Patnaik Airport in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar after security staff found eight bullets in his possession, police said.

William Michael Hurtubise, 25, an engineer with US-based SPX Service, was found carrying the bullets just before his scheduled departure on a chartered chopper from the state capital Tuesday, airfield police station chief Rashmi Ranjan Sahoo told IANS.

He was contracted by an offshore drilling contractor to inspect an engine at a drilling rig in the Bay of Bengal near the port town of Paradip, about 100 km from Bhubaneswar, police said.

Hurtubise was scheduled to travel by the chartered helicopter. The Central Industrial Security Force staff found the 0.22 mm bullets in one of his bags during the security check at the airport, Sahoo said.

"The CISF later handed him over to police. He was, however, not carrying any fire arm," he said.

"I have no bad intention. It was a mistake on my part," Hurtubise told police. He said he possesses an arm licence in the US and unknowingly carried the bullets.

He said he reached Bhubaneswar Tuesday from Holland and on the way his baggage was also checked at the Delhi airport but no objections were raised, police said.