British national with satellite phone detained at airport

Kolkata: A British national was detained by the Central Industrial Security Force at Kolkata Airport on Thursday for carrying a satellite phone.

He was later handed over to the police. The officers at NSCBI Police Station seized the satellite phone.

Around 3.30 pm on Thursday, the 33-year-old British national, Prior Mathew, was detained at the airport after the CISF personnel found a satellite phone in his handbag. It was found during the pre-embarkation security check through X-BIS machine in the Security Hold Area at the airport.

Sub-inspector Ved Prakash of CISF detected the satellite phone from Mathew's handbag. He was supposed to travel from Kolkata to Delhi by an Air India flight. He was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Hong Kong from Delhi.

According to police sources, the satellite phone was seized as its use is ban in India. He was allowed to go following discussions over the matter with the British Consulate in Kolkata.

All documents related to the satellite phone have to be produced before the police. They are looking into the legal provisions in this connection and would further speak to Mathew to get details about the satellite phone that was found in his possession. It may be mentioned that the CISF personnel maintain strict vigil at the airport and have taken Mathew to the police immediately after the satellite phone was found.