A South African national was detained late on Monday night at the IGI Airport after the hand held metal detector used for manual frisking of passengers beeped when passed over his stomach. Sources at the airport said the man told the CISF staff frisking him that he was a heart patient and taking injections rich in metal content. Not being satisfied by his statement, the CISF took the man, identified as Welcome Zwelinzima, to the airport medical room run by Apollo Hospital. “An ECG was conducted on him, which confirmed the man did not suffer from any heart ailment,” an airport source said.

Zwelinzima was bound for Mumbai by a Jetlite flight (S20209) from the domestic airport at 8.20 pm and had to take another flight to Johannesburg from there.

Officials said he was detained as his arrival-departure pattern was too suspicious and too frequent. According to officials, Zwelinzima arrived in Mumbai on June 10 and departed for Johannesburg from Delhi the next day. He then arrived in Delhi on June 14 and departed for Johannesburg from Mumbai the next day. On August 17, Zwelinzima again arrived in Mumbai to depart for Johannesburg on August 24.