Passenger held at Kolkata airport for carrying pistol

KOLKATA - A passenger was arrested at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) here Friday evening for carrying a firearm and ammunition, police said.

Manoj Kumar Sharma, a resident of Patna, was travelling to Delhi on a Jet Airways flight. After he checked in and was undergoing the security check, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel detected a pistol and some bullet-rounds while x-raying his baggage.

Sharma was detained and the pistol and ammunition were confiscated, said a CISF trooper.

“A pistol and 31 rounds of bullets were recovered from him. He was later handed over to the police and taken to airport police station for interrogation,” the trooper said.

A senior police officer at the airport police station said: “He had confessed that the pistol was for his brother, who possesses an arms licence. He was carrying the pistol to purchase its ammunition.”

“An investigation has been initiated,” the officer said.