A bag containing an object that looked like a bomb was found in the premises of Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal on Wednesday morning, prompting the security personnel from Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) and police to reach there with dog squad as well as bomb detection and disposal squad. CISF officials later said it was a mock drill carried out to check the alertness of their personnel deployed in the security of the Airport. “We had placed a dummy bomb in a bag outside the airport and made a call regarding it. All the protocols pertaining to such emergency calls were followed. The dog squad, bomb squad and police as well as CISF personnel reached there and carried out the necessary procedure. It was a mock drill that we often carry out to check the alertness of CISF staff,” said a CISF officer. As a part of the mock exercise, an unclaimed packet containing a timer and some loose wire was placed on the airport premises. The CISF personnel cordoned off the entire area and no one was allowed to enter the parking lot. Vehicles parked there were immediately shifted to safer locations.

 

The packet was covered with sand bags. Sniffer dogs, too, were pressed into service to locate the packet. A bomb disposal squad was also called. In the meantime, the CISF personnel located the packet with the help of an electronic detector but stayed away from it. According to airport director KL Agrawal, the CISF conducted the mock exercise to check the security preparedness at the airport. "The bomb disposal squad arrived and disposed off the packet within an hour which contained a timer without any explosive," he said.