The Mangaluru Police on Monday recovered a suspicious bag with components of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) outside the Mangaluru International Airport. Police say that a laptop bag was found at the ticket counter of the airport, which was allegedly left there by a man, who arrived at the airport in an autorickshaw. The ticket counter is located near the VIP parking area, according to reports early on Monday morning.
The CISF personnel, deployed at the airport saw the suspicious bag at around 8.45 am and called the police control room. By 10 am, the canine squad and the bomb disposal unit inspected the bag and the area was cordoned off.
CISF Chief PRO Anil Pandey told TNM, "We found traces of an IED from a bag lying at the ticket counter at Mangaluru airport. It has been evacuated safely. The IED did not have any trigger material. The bag has been taken out of the airport for investigation."
CISF says that a low-intensity IED was found inside the laptop bag near the ticketing counter at the #Mangaluru airport this morning. The bag has been taken out of the airport by local police and bomb squad. @thenewsminute
— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) January 20, 2020
Speaking to the media, Mangaluru Police Commissioner, PS Harsha said, “We have followed all safety protocols and bomb detection squad has been sent to the isolation bay. We have cleared the people who were near the bag and cordoned off that particular space. The police is determining what is inside the bag.”
“The passengers who were waiting for their flights were sent away from that place to safety. No flights were cancelled. However, the traffic moving towards the airport was diverted. We are trying to identify the person who left the bag in the waiting area,” the police said.
Several media reports claimed that the bag contained a wired unit.
The Bajpe Police and the CISF were anyway on high alert, police say. “Ahead of Republic Day, security at all airports are heightened,” a senior police official said. The police, meanwhile have stepped up security near the airport. All vehicle travelling to and from the airport are being checked and vehicles are being photographed, police officials said.