Mumbai: Hours after passing stringent security procedures of Israeli airline El Al and clearing customs at Mumbai, as many as 16 bullets and a magazine were found in the check-in baggage of a 29-year-old Israeli woman, who reached here from Tel Aviv.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning, has caused concern in aviation circles as world over El Al is acknowledged for its foolproof anti-terror security procedures.

However, some aviation security officials in Mumbai said there could a larger story behind this, as El Al cannot possibly fail to detect 16 bullets and a magazine. “That she escaped the Mumbai customs security is not surprising, considering that those who man their X-ray machines are not trained,” sources said.

According to sources, Noa Haviv was travelling alone. She reached Mumbai on El Al’s flight LY-W071 from Tel Aviv. On disembarking, she put her cabin and check-in bags through the customs X-ray machines, cleared the security and walked to the Jet Airways security check-in X-ray machine, which is barely 50 mt from the customs security point.

Jet Airways has a baggage check-in facility at the international terminal for passengers scheduled to take their domestic flights.

“The X-ray machine operator was surprised to find 16 bullets and a magazine lying in the corner of the suitcase that had just come out of the cargo hold of El Al and cleared Mumbai customs as well,” said a source.

The airline filed a case against the passenger at the Sahar police station, where she has been detained and was interrogated by the police and Intelligence Bureau officials. She was not released till evening.

TOI