Airports on high alert after hijacking threats

International airports in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad were placed on the highest security alert yesterday after police received information of a possible aircraft hijacking attempt, officials and news reports said.“We have increased and strengthened patrolling and access control at all three airports,” said O P Singh, director general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which looks after airport security.The alert was sounded after the Mumbai police received information of possible hijack attempt, NDTV news channel reported.All airlines have been asked to remain extra vigilant and avoid last-minute check-ins, Singh said.“Passengers have been requested to co-operate and additional numbers of sniffer dogs have been deployed at all three airports,” Singh added.The security was stepped up following an e-mail from a woman who warned of a possible hijack, a CISF official said.In the e-mail sent to the Mumbai police, the woman, who did not reveal her identity, said she heard six unidentified men discuss hijacking three flights in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai yesterday.The woman, whose e-mail was in broken English, said she overheard the young men at a restaurant in Hyderabad over lunch.She claimed hearing them say that 23 people would split up from Hyderabad and board three flights in the three cities for hijacking.Officials said while it could be a fake alarm, they were not taking any chances.The Mumbai police are trying to get in touch with the woman who sent the e-mail.Police in the three cities beefed up security at the main entry points to the airports.All vehicles were thoroughly checked.“There is no reason to panic as security measures have been put in place. All operations at these airports will be normal and passengers will not face any problem,” CISF chief Singh said.The CISF has enhanced baggage scanning, pre-embarkation checks and frisking of passengers.Other airports in the country have been alerted too.After a similar hijack threat in January 2015, the CISF had reviewed its procedures. Anti-hijack drills were held at airports and communication lines with the police and security agencies were also checked.That time, the intelligence agencies had spoken of a hijack attempt on an Air India flight to Kabul in Afghanistan.