William M. Hurtubise

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: Police are still working on the theory that the 27-year-old American engineer, who was arrested by from Biju Patnaik airport yesterday, had procured bullets locally.

Engineer William M. Hurtubise was arrested from the airport after eight .22 bullets were found in his bag during security check.

William, who landed in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, had claimed that he had brought the bullets from his country. But the police disagreed.

Sources said bullets were being smuggled into the state from Bihar and Jharkhand, while some goons in Nayagarh, Cuttack and Angul were also providing them.

“There are a handful of licensed armouries in the state that provide bullets for licensed guns only,” said a source.

“The probe is on and we have intimated the matter to the ministry of external affairs,” said deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh.

Police sources said that though the luggage of a person was not checked on connecting flights, it was impossible to slip through security checks at US airports.

“William told us that he had travelled from Houston to Bhubaneswar via Amsterdam and New Delhi. It is possible that his luggage was not scanned in Amsterdam and New Delhi. But how could he have managed to get through the airport in the US?” asked a senior police official.

Sources at the Jharapara jail where William is currently lodged, said he was taking his meals. William, who is a resident of Houston in Texas state of southern USA, had told the cops that he was scheduled to visit Paradip for inspection of a ship engine.