5 arrested in Mumbai for smuggling inflammables on flight

Representation Pic

The Sahar police have arrested five individuals for allegedly attempting to smuggle flammable materials onto a flight. A fire broke out in a passenger's bag, which was quickly put out by airport authorities. The incident took place on August 16 at around 10.30 am aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

The flight was halted, the fire was extinguished and no injuries had been reported during the incident. The police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the crime and suspect the chemical to be Hydrogen Spirit, "We have sent the flammable material to forensic analysis," said the police.

"The matter came to light when a fire erupted in the passenger bag, as he had smuggled the chemical into the airplane. We have arrested five people so far and will determine the motive behind the crime," said DCP Zone 8 Dixit Gedam.

The police will also investigate how the passenger passed through the security check at the airport. According to the police, the passenger was identified as 32-year-old Sameer Narayan Biswas. Investigations revealed that Biswas had accomplices who helped him bring the dangerous substance on board.

Biswas was arrested along with four others: Navin Sharma, Bishwubhai alias Vishwanath Balasubramani Sengutar, Nandan Yadav, and Akhilesh Yadav. All are in police custody. Sameer Biswas, a resident of West Bengal, was identified as the main suspect, while Nandan Yadav, a resident of Mumbai, allegedly supplied him with the hazardous material. Another suspect, Suresh Subba Singh, who runs a logistics business near Sahar Cargo, coordinated the transportation of the flammable material with the help of Vishwanath Sengutar.