Security beefed up at IGIA after call about a terrorist in airport

Security agencies went into a tizzy on Wednesday after the call centre at IGI Airport received a non-specific information about the presence of a “terrorist”. The airport was put on high alert on receiving the information. However, later in the investigation it was learnt that the information received via call was a hoax. Flight operations during this period were unaffected, they said.

“At around 2.30 am the call centre of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport received an anonymous call saying that someone from Amritsar present at the airport was a terrorist. The information was immediately passed on to the airport authorities as well as all the aviation security agencies,” the sources said.

The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was formed to assess the threat and the security agencies carried out an extensive screening of the people at the airport. The BTAC declared the call as “non-specific” at around 3.30 am, the sources said.

Earlier on December 12, 2015 the CISF control room at IGI airport Terminal 3 received specific information regarding plane hijacks and serial bomb blasts in Delhi. The airport was put on high alert on receiving the information of 200 ISIS men entering Delhi. The information was received after a call was made to a call centre of airport operator DIAL informing about the planning. Sources said the caller revealed that a conspiracy was being plotted in Goa and the attackers had planned to hijack and blast two aircraft and carry out serial blasts in Delhi. However, later in the investigation it was learnt that the information received via call was a hoax and the caller was from France.