Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai airports on alert after hijack threat

Security protocols at air facilities was increased to a level done on Republic & Independence Day

Security at international airports in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai was put on maximum alert after state police forces and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were informed about a possible aircraft hijack attempt.
 
Security protocols at these civilian air facilities was increased to a level done on Republic Day and Independence Day and the CISF, which guards the airports, and police were taking special measures.
 
Mumbai Police last night got an e-mail, purportedly sent by a Hyderabad-based woman. She claimed she overheard six men telling each other that “all the 23 people have to split from here and board flights in three cities and hijack planes”.

 

CISF Director-General O P Singh told PTI the security apparatus at these airports had been put on “an enhanced alert and protocols have been stepped up”.
 
“The e-mail could eventually turn out be a hoax but till investigations conclude, all security drills to thwart a hijack-like scenario are being carried,” he said.
 
“The woman wrote what she heard could be ‘true or not’ but chose to inform the authorities as she felt it was her duty as a citizen,” a senior officer said.
 
The contents of the e-mail were shared with all security and intelligence agencies last night and a meeting of all stakeholders at these airports was subsequently convened with the input being declared specific and actionable.

 
Anti-sabotage sweeps are being carried out at the three airports and security agencies are carrying out full passenger checks, baggage scanning, pre-embarkation checks and like measures. CISF has pressed into service its sniffer dog squads and quick reaction commando teams for sanitisation drills.
 
“There is no reason to panic and all the operations at these airports will be conducted as normally as possible so that passengers don’t face any problem,” a senior officer said.