Friday, February 25, 2022

Home ministry forms committee to investigate TIA case

After 4 days, the government today formed a probe team to investigate an incident, relating to a man sneaking through three layers of security and boarded an aircraft parked on the tarmac of Tribhuvan International Airport without any documents.

Despite a slew of checking process and three layers of security, the person, without a passport and a visa, reached the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) aircraft, when it was about to take off for Doha from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Describing the incident highly sensitive in terms of security, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to bring it under investigation, a press note issued by the ministry today reads, adding that the incident had grabbed its serious attention.

The probe team will assess the security of the international airport, work allocations of several securities bodies, possible weaknesses, and ways for improvement, the press note further reads, adding that the nine-member probe team has been formed under the coordination of director-general of Department of Immigration Narayan Prasad Bhattarai

According to joint secretary and spokesperson of the ministry Phanidramani Pokhrel, the probe team will submit its report within seven days. 

The international airport that is heavily guarded by the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force (APF) and Nepal Police but Monday’s incident has left everyone wondering how a person managed to breach the three layers of security to reach the sensitive area. The man was arrested and police have identified him as Haspam Alam of Rautahat. 

According to Nepal Airlines, on February 21 night, Alam was found seated in the business class of an Airbus A330 aircraft, registration number 9N-ALY, which was preparing to fly to Doha. 

After the incident, Nepal Airlines suspended Dhruvaraj Thapa, security commander of Nepal Airlines.

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