Terror threat: Airports on high alert ahead of Republic Day

The BCAS has also asked the CISF personnel to frisk passengers before they board the aircraft and monitor catering services vehicles.

Assessing the security risk to the airports in the run-up to Republic Day celebrations, the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has alerted the Central Industrial Security Service (CISF), asking it to look out for explosives that could be hidden in perfume bottles, computer printer ink and toner cartridges.

The BCAS has also asked the CISF personnel to frisk passengers before they board the aircraft and monitor catering services vehicles.

As part of preventive measures, the CISF will monitor flights from airports/airfields around Delhi. Since the airfield around Delhi and the car parking at airport could be potential threats, the CISF will check vehicles to preclude possibility of car bomb attacks.

The BCAS has also asked the CISF personnel to frisk passengers before they board the aircraft and monitor catering services vehicles.

“In the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations, security arrangements at all airports in the country need to be beefed up, as intelligence inputs received in the current year are indicative of a heightened threat perception to civil aviation sector,” reads the alert issued by the BCAS.

“Threat from hired/hijacked helicopters, remote-controlled microlite aircraft, aero model, paraglider, IEDs hidden in perfume bottle, computer printer ink and toner cartridges and unassembled weapon may also be factored in while laying down the arrangements,” the order reads.

“We have strengthened the security at the approach road and the speed of vehicles will be slowed down through speed breakers. We have also asked the airlines to start the Secondary Ladder Point Checking (SLPC) just before passengers enter the airport,” a senior CISF officer posted at the Delhi airport said.

“Even the catering van is sanitised and security staff is asked to check the plane before boarding. Air Marshals have been deployed in sensitive flights, who are trained to thwart any hijack attempt,” said the officer.