Mystery over seizure of rifles in Kochi airport

Mystery deepened over the seizure of six rifles from a passenger from Dubai at the Nedumbaserry airport in Kochi last week.

While Palakkad native, who tried to smuggle the rifles, maintained that those were meant for a rifle club, an office-bearer of the Palakkad Rifle Association maintained that no one was authorised to bring riffles for the association.

The customs authorities in the airport who seized the six rifles, that were kept in parts in the luggage, is awaiting reports of ballistic experts to determine the type of the rifles.

The passenger tried to take out the rifles through the green channel without declaration, but was intercepted after the images of rifle parts showed up in the baggage scanner.

Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) in Kerala, Sumit Kumar, said that the probe was on and so far it did not seem like a major security threat.