Chennai: A 58-year-old US citizen was arrested at the airport here on charges of carrying a loaded revolver and issues of security breach were raised with authorities not ruling out the possibility of him having carried the weapon when he flew in here from New Delhi.
Police said Sellmeyer was detained by CISF personnel when they found the Austrian-made 'Calibre 40' weapon while scanning his baggage as he arrived to board a Mumbai-bound flight and handed him over to airport authorities.
He had come to Chennai last week from New Delhi to undergo treatment at a private hospital.
The American Consulate here has been informed about his arrest, officials said adding the Consulate had confirmed that Sellmeyer was a US citizen. A consulate official did not answer reporter's queries.
Sellmeyer told reporters that he was not aware of the Indian laws that carrying firearms in the flight was an offence. 'I realise it now," he said when reporters asked whether he was aware of the rules.
Police said that they recovered 35 bullets and three magazines.
A spokesperson of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) when queried about a possible security breach said, "We have referred the matter to the concerned security agencies who are ascertaining the facts and will reveal once all details have been obtained."