A young New Zealand tourist has been arrested in India after three live bullets were found in his hand luggage when he got off a plane in the country's northwest.
The .22 ammunition was detected in a security check at the Udaipur Airport on Tuesday, according to Indian media reports. Alexander Ralph Harper, 21, was charged under the Arms Act and placed in custody.
Harper was filmed by Indian media saying the bullets had not been detected earlier as they were in his check-in baggage while flying from New Zealand.
He did not explain why he was travelling with the ammunition.
Hastings-born Harper was reported to be travelling in India with four friends and had planned to fly to Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was aware of the case, a spokeswoman told NZ Newswire.
"The ministry and High Commission in New Delhi are providing consular assistance to the New Zealander and his family," she said on Friday, declining to say whether he remained in police custody.
NZN