Passenger's bag catches fire at airport, unfolds smuggling conspiracy

A major security scare incident unfolded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Terminal2 in Mumbai on the morning of August 16 when a passengers bag caught fire due to a flammable substance The police are now investigating a smuggling conspiracy into the matter an official saidThe incident involved Ethiopian Airlines flight ET641 bound for Addis AbabaThe fire was quickly extinguished but it led to the discovery of a larger conspiracy The passenger identified as Sameer Narayanchandra Biswas 32 was found to be carrying the flammable substance with the intent to transport it on the flight The Sahar Police Station responded promptly to the scene and an investigation revealed a criminal plot involving multiple individuals said Madhukar Sonawane Senior PI Sahar Police StationAccording to the police Biswas along with his accomplicesmdashNandan Dinesh Yadav Suresh Subba Singh Vishwanath Balasubramani Senjunadhar and Akhilesh Gajraj Yadavmdashconspired to smuggle the hazardous material endangering the lives of passengers and the safety of the aircraftThe incident came to light after Ethiopian Airlines Manager Rakesh Ramchandra Wakale 45 filed a complaint As a result a case was registered under sections 125 327 612 of the BNS and section 31k of The Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act the Senior PI disclosedThe five accused have been arrested while another key suspect identified as Navin Sharma remains at large and is believed to be outside India and is yet to be arrested he addedThe investigation so far reveals that Sameer Biswas who was found in possession of the flammable material is a resident of Arjun Batkulla Tahitur Nadia District West Bengal Nandan Yadav 26 who handed over the substance to Biswas at the airport lives in Marol Naka Andheri East Mumbai Suresh Singh 46 operates a logistics business near Sahar Cargo and played a key role in supplying the material to Biswas through Yadav Vishwanath Senjunadhar 37 residing in Ambernath Thane was responsible for coordinating with a wanted accused Navin Sharma based in Congo Akhilesh Yadav 28 assisted in transporting the material to the airport said Madhukar Sonawane Senior PI Sahar Police StationThe investigation is ongoing with efforts underway to apprehend Navin Sharma who remains at large We are also probing the network behind this dangerous scheme to ensure aviation safety is not compromised in the future he addedWhen asked about how the flammable substance went unnoticed at the airport security check the Senior PI added We are currently investigating this part of the incident and are positive that someone from inside may also be involved Though these are just speculations for now we are investigating all possible angles to this incidentEthiopian Airlines in its statement said On August 16th morning at Mumbai Airport in India a baggage container carrying baggage checked in for ET641 in the ramp area was observed with fire The incident occurred at the ramp while the container was being transported from the baggage makeup area to the aircraft The Airport Safety Security and Fire teams responded immediately extinguishing the fire and ensuring all necessary safety procedures were followed The affected container and baggage are under investigation by the authorities at Mumbai airport The aircraft was dispatched following the standard safety procedures as nothing had happened at the aircraft side We will provide updates as more information becomes available