Kismat Ali was just trying to do something nice by delivering the custom vest his brother had ordered from the shopping district of Karol Bagh. He didn’t really think anything of it as he took the vest through security in his carry-on bag, but officials at Indira Ghandi International Airport were concerned. Why were there motors and batteries on a vest? What was its purpose? 

“The vest had created a scare as it looked like an improvised explosive device. However, we verified the vest, tested it and also checked the location from where it was bought,” said Sanjay Bhatia, DCP. Still, the fact that Ali couldn’t explain what all the gizmos did was enough cause for alarm that the police were called in. 

Eventually, authorities were able to confirm that the vest wasn’t a tool of terrorism, just a magician’s assistant – the garment was festooned with electromagnets to help make objects appear or disappear as needed. Ali’s brother, who’d ordered the vest, is a magician in Assam. 

If you’ve ever had a similar run-in with airport security over something weird (but harmless) in your luggage, share it in the comments! And if you ask your brother to pick something up for you, let him in on the secret before he heads to the airport.