MUMBAI (Web Desk) – The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here has been put on high alert after the authorities received a call informing that it could be attacked.
The call was made late on Monday night and the caller has been traced, the police said.
“Even now the screening operations are on and the call has not been declared hoax yet,” said Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson Veena Chiplunkar around 11 a.m.
Security at both the domestic and international terminals of CSIA was beefed up after the airport manager received a call around 11-45 p.m. on Monday. According to The Hindu, the caller said that not only the airport but also Taj Hotel, one of the targets during 26/11 attacks, may be attacked by a group of four to five suicide bombers.
Bomb threat assessment committee of CSIA has termed the call as ‘specific threat’ and bomb squad was deployed after the call and a massive search-cum-screening exercise was taken up.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8) Virendra Mishra since the threat was very specific in nature and the caller even provided his details, security at the airport had to employ additional security measures to rule out the possibility of any attack and searches were on.
“He identified himself as Andheri resident Vishesh Kumar. We have alerted all the security agencies and are also trying to trace Vishesh to find out if he had any other motives to make the call,” said Mr. Mishra.