Mumbai, Dec 25 (Mid-Day): With the deportation of an American man just over a week ago, Terminal 2 (T2) authorities seem to have literally dodged a bullet. Joseph Micheal Costyn, a US national travelling from London to Mumbai, was deported by Immigration officials on December 5 when they learnt that he did not have a proper visa.

Costyn, who was flying on BA-199 from London, arrived at T2 at 11.45 am. Immigration officials sent him back by BA-198, which was to depart for London at 1.45 pm the same day. When Costyn contacted the airlines to return his luggage to him yesterday, they found three live bullets in his check-in baggage.

“When the passenger contacted the airline to return his luggage, which was left behind in Mumbai, his bags were screened and three 9-mm bullets were found in a bag that he had checked in,” said an airport official. After the bullets were detected, staff members from the airline went to the Sahar police yesterday to deposit the bullets and the bags with them, and register a complaint. But the police did not accept the same due to incomplete documentation.

As a result, Costyn’s bags are still lying at T2 with MIAL security officials. When contacted, a British Airways spokesperson said yesterday that they would need to look into the case and wouldn’t be able to comment immediately.