Israel-bound Passenger Found Possessing Two Live Bullets at Airport, Arrested

Israel-bound Passenger Found Possessing Two Live Bullets at Airport, Arrested

Mangaluru: The JetAir staff at the airport here, while screening the baggage of a passenger who was to fly by the late evening flight to Mumbai on Monday, detected two live bullets therein.

The passenger, John Fernandes, who is a resident of checkpost locality in Vamanjoor, has been employed as a home nurse in Israel for the last six years. He had no document in support of the possession of the ammunition.

Jet Airways security manager Sunil Dutt Sharma filed a complaint in the matter to the Bajpe police. They arrested him and booked him under Illegal Arms Act. He has been sent to judicial custody.

Oversight cost him dear

On enquiries, it was found that he got into trouble only because of his curio collection interest and later because of oversight. He had found the two stray bullets which had been thrown around by some Isreali citizens there a few years ago.

He kept them with him out of curiosity and brought them to India for his collection a few years ago. He had left them in a spare bag at home. While returning he had not taken the bag. But this time, after his holidays, he was to fly back on Monday, when he took the bag to carry some extra pairs of shoes, which are comparatively low-priced in India. But he had forgotten about the bullets lying in the same bag.

When the bag was screened at the airport and the bullets were found, then only he recalled that he had kept them in the bag during the earlier visit and it had been left behind. Now not only his departure was delayed but also he is facing charges of possessing illegal ammunition.

(Pic for illustration purpose only)