Cartridge recovery cases at airports continue to emerge daily, but the most recent incident is unlike any other. In this case, cartridges were retrieved from Air India's AI 916 flight seat pocket after it landed at Delhi's IGI Airport. The discovery has taken everyone by surprise, even security agencies.
It is being examined as to where the security check failed and a passenger or other individual accessed the plane with cartridges. The police have not concluded this case yet. The inquiry is underway.
The Air India AI 916 flight operates between Dubai and New Delhi. On October 27, the aircraft arrived at New Delhi Airport. All of the passengers deboarded the plane. When the passengers got off, the aviation company's support crew began cleaning the plane.
During this time, a cartridge came out of a seat pocket. The support personnel quickly contacted the authorities about the situation. Following that, an extensive search of the plane was done. Apart from the cartridge, no other suspicious items were discovered in the plane.
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"One ammunition cartridge was found in the pocket of a seat of our flight AI916 after it had landed from Dubai at Delhi on 27 October 2024 and all passengers had safely disembarked. A complaint was immediately lodged with the Airport Police by Air India strictly adhering to the laid down security protocols. We understand the matter is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. Safety and security of our passengers and crew remain the topmost priority for Air India," an Air India Spokesperson said in a statement.
The authorities are now gathering information from Air India regarding the passengers who sat on the seat, in whose pocket the cartridge was discovered. Right now, it is impossible to say with precision when the cartridge is placed there. If necessary, the police will gather information on the passengers who rode near or on this seat before.
The discovery of cartridges from the plane raises fundamental concerns about the entire security procedure. Before departing, every plane undergoes a stringent security check. This includes the X-ray inspection of people's bags. Cabin baggage is screened manually and with X-rays. This entire procedure takes a long time.
Cartridges are frequently found at airports during this procedure. Several handguns have also been recovered. However, the discovery of cartridges inside the plane indicates that some amount of neglect occurred during the security check. Similar carelessness probably occurred at Dubai Airport.