Prohibited Satellite Phone Seized During Pre-Boarding Security Check
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A US-based doctor was detained at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport after security personnel recovered a prohibited satellite phone from his baggage during pre-boarding screening for a Delhi-bound flight. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon.
The 45-year-old doctor, a resident of Alabama, was scheduled to travel on an Air India flight to Delhi when the device was detected during routine baggage scanning. Security officials immediately flagged the item for further inspection.
According to reports, a constable on duty identified the device as a Garmin satellite phone during the security check. Airport authorities promptly alerted the MIDC CIDCO police station. The phone was seized by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel in the presence of panch witnesses, along with a photocopy of the doctor’s passport, and handed over to the police.
Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar stated that satellite phones are prohibited in India without prior approval from the Union government. During questioning, the doctor reportedly claimed he was unaware of the restriction and had not sought the necessary permission.
He informed officials that he carried the device for emergency communication and GPS tracking purposes. The doctor also submitted a written apology acknowledging the lapse and expressed regret over the violation.
On the instructions of senior officers, he was taken to the MIDC CIDCO police station, where his statement was recorded with the assistance of a bilingual interpreter. He reportedly stated that the device had not been used and remained switched off during his stay in India.
After completing the required formalities and issuing a warning, the police allowed him to leave. Officials confirmed that the satellite phone has been seized and an entry has been made in the station diary regarding the incident.
Sources indicated that the doctor had visited Latur district and was returning to the United States when he was stopped. In a separate recent case, London-based doctor and YouTuber Sangram Patil was detained at Mumbai International Airport over a social media post and later released after questioning under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
