US man held at airport for carrying live cartridges

American citizen arrested at Mumbai airport for carrying live cartridges in checked-in luggage. Claims ignorance, released on bail. #AirportSecurity

Mumbai: A 25-year-old American citizen was arrested recently at the airport for allegedly carrying live cartridges in his checked-in luggage. The accused, identified as Marcelin Djouhou Kamdoum, was travelling from Mumbai to Kolkata on Wednesday.

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The security staff at the airport filed the complaint. According to the police, Kamdoum’s flight was scheduled to leave the city at 5.30am. “The security staff noticed some suspicious objects while his checked-in luggage was screened. The suspected objects turned out to be live cartridges,” an officer from Sahar police station said. “The accused indulges in shooting sports as a hobby. Since the gun laws in the United States of America are liberal, he often carries cartridges and other gun accessories with him routinely.”

Kamdoum told the police that he did not remember that the cartridges were kept in the bag that he brought to India, the officer said, adding, “Three cartridges – two 9 mm in diameter and one 10 mm – were found hidden beneath the sole of his shoes inside the luggage.”

Kamdoum, a computer programmer, had come to India to visit some friends in Kolkata and was taking the connecting flight from Mumbai. “When the security officials at the airport asked him about the necessary licences and permissions to carry the arms, the accused could not provide a satisfactory reply. Therefore, he was handed over to the police,” the officer said. Kamdoum was booked under relevant sections of the Arms Act for carrying ammunition without a licence or required permission.

During the interrogation, the police verified all the information provided by the accused through his social media profile as well as through the American embassy.

“This could have been a case of genuine ignorance or carelessness on the part of the passenger, given the laws in his country. However, given that Independence Day is around the corner, we couldn’t take a chance by taking this instance lightly,” the officer said, adding that the accused was produced in court the same day and released on bail later.