Security increased at Delhi, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad airports after Pannun’s video threat

Sources said the intelligence agency received several threats regarding the final ICC Cricket World Cup match on November 19 in Ahmedabad.

Senior officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Delhi Police and National Investigation Agency were among those present at the meeting between the MHA and MAC last week.

“The latest threat issued by Pannun as well as the threat inputs about a World Cup Final match on the same day was the agenda of the meeting,” an official said.

A senior official of the intelligence establishment said several issues were discussed at the meeting and multiple security-related inputs were shared. “BCAS have informed that a similar threat was issued by Pannu after the Hamas attack and an alert was issued by them. Now, they have extended the alert till November 30 and asked all airport authorities to conduct random baggage checks in Delhi, Punjab and Ahmedabad airports,” the official said.

The official added that employees of Indo-Canadian buses and Air-India were briefed. “All security personnel have been asked to check ticket bookings as well as last-minute cancellations. Special teams of Delhi Police have been formed for round-the-clock patrolling in the airports for anyone attempting to make Pro-Khalistani graffiti,” the official said.

At the meeting, the CISF informed security of Delhi’s IGI airport was increased and arrangements similar to that of the G20 Summit had been made. “During G20 Summit, two bag scanners were installed at T-3 airport, and now again one baggage scanner was installed at the departure gate where local police with the help of CISF were randomly checking passengers and their belongings,” an official said.

The CISF also informed they were conducting a secondary ladder point check which involves a final round of checking passengers and their belongings once mandatory CISF checks were completed. Near the boarding point, another round of thorough frisking and hand baggage check is conducted, an official said.

Khalistan separatist Pannu, was designated an ‘individual terrorist’ by India on July 1, 2020. In September, an FIR was registered in Ahmedabad against Pannu, over threats linked to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. In the FIR, the cybercrime branch of the Ahmedabad police said several persons received threats from the chief of SFJ via a pre-recorded voice message sent from a foreign number. The threats were allegedly sent in response to the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.