The Commissionerate police on Wednesday arrested an American engineer at the Biju Patnaik Airport here and seized eight 0.22mm live bullets from his possession.
According to DCP Nitinjeet Singh, William Michel, a Texas based engineer of US-based STX Company, arrived in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday evening in an Air India flight and stayed at a private hotel in the city. He was about to leave for Paradip for company work on Wednesday morning by a special-chartered flight when the airport security personnel nabbed him.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the airport frisked him before he boarded the flight at around 8.30 am and traced eight 0.22mm bullets in his luggage. When Michel failed to give satisfactory reply on the possession of the bullets, the security personnel informed the Airfield police station. “We are interrogating him to know on the bullets and also why he was going to Paradip,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, Michel has pleaded ignorance. “I do not harbor any ill intention. But certainly it a mistake to have the bullets in my bag,” he said. He reached Bhubaneswar via Holland, and also Delhi and the bag was checked by the Customs, said Michel. Now the revelation of the foreign national that the bag was checked by the Customs officials at Delhi airport has put the city police in surprise.