News Analysis India

Tag: IGI Airport

  • Punjab government to run luxury buses to IGI Airport 

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  Political gamesmanship sometimes ends up benefitting the people. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced that the state government would start luxurious Volvo bus services from different cities of the state to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in New Delhi from June 15.

    The move is apparently aimed at breaking the monopoly of private bus operators, including the companies owned by a prominent political family. “We have got the mandate of people to serve the state by eliminating mafia. Our government has already curbed liquor mafia through our new excise policy and today I am happy to announce that now transport mafia will also be a thing of past,” Mann said in a video message.

    He pointed out that for decades, only private transporters had run their buses on this route and looted the people by charging as per their whims and fancies. The CM said the NRIs coming to Punjab always complained to him asking why only private players had the right to ply buses on this route.

    The luxury buses run by the government will charge less than half of the private transporters and give double facilities, Mann proclaimed. The bookings can be done through the websites of Punjab Roadways and PUNBUS. The time table of these buses will also be available on these websites.

    Sources said these Volvo buses will ply between the IGI Airport and Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Chandigarh. Thee fare is likely to be in the range of Rs 800-Rs 1,400 as compared to Rs 1,600-Rs 2,600 charged by the private operators. Volvo buses from Punjab to the Delhi airport are being run mostly by companies owned by a powerful political family. The AAP had promised to break this monopoly.

  • Ugandan woman with 1 kg of cocaine in stomach held at Delhi airport

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: In a rare case, the Delhi customs have arrested a Ugandan woman at Delhi airport allegedly with around one kilogram of cocaine in her stomach, said a senior customs official on Wednesday.

    He said that the woman was admitted to RML hospital and it took four days for recovery of all 91 cocaine-filled capsules from her body. A total of 993 grams of cocaine has been recovered.

    “It is a rare case where around one kg has been concealed inside the body in specially designed pellets containing cocaine. In normal cases, these drug carriers conceal around 400-500 grams inside their body. It could be life-threatening if these capsules burst inside the stomach,” he said.

    He added that Customs officers identified one Ugandan passenger, who arrived at Terminal-3 of IGI Airport a few days back. The gait and body movements of the passenger were unusual. The customs officer out of sheer facilitation and goodwill approached her if she needed any help. However, the passenger not only refused to accept any help but also showed a disinclination to engage in any conversation, while at the same time continuing to exhibit uneasy body movements.

    “Sensing the unusual behaviour of the passenger, the Customs officers maintained a vigil on her. After a while, the passenger crossed the green channel and was approaching towards exit gate of the international arrival hall, when the customs officers finally intercepted her,” he said.

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    Upon questioning, the passenger finally divulged that she had swallowed 91 capsules of narcotic substance. Since it was an impending emergency, the Passenger was admitted to the RML hospital. X-ray scanning revealed that the colon (ascending, descending) Sigmoid etc of the Passenger was filled with oval pellets, he said.

    Under expert medical supervision, an ejection procedure was carried out which yielded the recovery of a total of 91 pellets in batches. The entire ejection process lasted over several days during which Customs staff maintained round the clock vigil at the hospital, he added.

    “These 91 pellets, in turn, yielded 992 grams of a white powdery substance, Diagnostic test, revealed the substance to contain cocaine. The hospital authorities handed over the passenger to the Customs,” he said.

    The passenger has been arrested under NDPS Act on Wednesday. Further investigation in the matter is under process.

    This is the second big detection of cocaine at IGI Airport in December month. Earlier, 2838 grams of cocaine was recovered from a Ugandan lady on December 9 who had arrived at New Delhi from Lagos via Dubai.

    Customs officers at IGI Airport have achieved considerable success against the drug smuggling menace.

    It was the 24th case of seizure of NDPS covered drugs at the airport this year. Total 32 Passengers have been arrested so far. The estimated value of drug seizures would go into more than Rs 845 crore.

  • Indian passenger travelling to Paris held with fake visa at IGI airport

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A Paris-bound Indian passenger was apprehended by the CISF at the Delhi airport on Monday for allegedly using a fake visa to exit the country, a senior official said.

    Amjot Singh was scheduled to take a Qatar Airways flight to Paris through Doha but he was intercepted by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel during checks at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

    “Immigration officials confirmed that the visa affixed on his passport was fake,” a senior CISF officer said.

    The passenger was handed over to Delhi Police that booked him on charges of cheating and forgery, he said.