NRI held for carrying satellite phone

COIMBATORE: The city police on Friday arrested a 51-year-old Chennai native from the airport here after he was found carrying a

satellite phone

, a mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites.

Police identified him as Balaji of Avvai Shanmugam Salai at Royapettah, a professor in Wellington, New Zealand. “He had landed in his hometown a few days ago. Three days ago, he flew from Chennai to Coimbatore with the phone. But security personnel at both the airports failed to detect it. On Thursday evening, Balaji arrived at the Coimbatore airport to board a flight back to Chennai. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel there found the phone while his luggage was being scanned,” a police officer said.

The CISF personnel interrogated Balaji and and later handed him over to the Peelamedu (law&order) police.

Police seized the phone and asked him to appear for inquiry on Friday. They also registered a case against him under section 6 (i) of Indian Wireless Act and section 20 of Wireless Telegraph act. He was arrested and later released on station bail.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Balaji was using the phone in New Zealand. “He was not aware about the ban in India and did not use it here. However, the phone will be send to labs after getting permission from the court for further investigation,” the officer told TOI. “The phone directly connects to satellites and is not easy to track. Such devices are the communications method of choice for terrorists and smugglers.”