A six-member team of FBI officials from the US who arrived at the international airport in Mumbai on Sunday morning was detained due to some “miscommunication”
Asked to provide list of forensic equipment
MUMBAI: A six-member team of FBI officials from the US who arrived at the international airport in Mumbai on Sunday morning was detained due to some “miscommunication” between officials as it arrived to probe Wednesday’s terror strike.
The team was allowed entry after it provided a list of forensic equipment it was carrying.
Authorities at the airport came in for a surprise when a special plane carrying the FBI team and special forensic equipment landed in the city, official sources said.
Customs commissioner (airport) Tarun Kumar Govil, when contacted, told DNA: “The consignment’s clearance was delayed as we found some paper formalities wanting.
They were allowed to leave by evening after these formalities had been completed.”
Immediately, after being not allowed permission, the FBI team got in touch with their Mission in New Delhi who in turn contacted officials in External Affairs Ministry.
Finally, the issue was resolved and the team was allowed to come in but only after providing the list of equipment that the team were carrying, the sources said.
They attributed this incident to miscommunication between the two sides and added that if prior information was available, the authorities would have placed a liaison officer to receive the team.
FBI would be investigating the case from its side as six American nationals were killed in the three-day-long shootouts.
According to well-placed sources in the customs department the consignment included several items of equipment such as sophisticated listening devices and anti terror tracking equipment.
When contacted, additional commissioner of customs — air intelligence unit (AIU) — Baljeet Singh Nunwal told DNA: “All signatory countries to the international customs treaty are required to furnish a written permission from deputy secretary to the Union ministry of external affairs if they are carrying equipment beyond the permissible limit.”
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