Chennai: Of late, the CISF has been receiving flak from law-enforcing authorities at Chennai airport for restricting entry into the airport, citing different reasons. At the same time, those working for private agencies and contract workers continue to have unlimited access to the airport, alleges a Central government official, even though the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) is investigating the role of insiders in two recent cases of smuggling.
While the CISF prefers to stop us, citing restrictions on passes issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), they are not able to ensure that criminals do not misuse the passes, DRI sources said, adding that those arrested in the recent gold smuggling cases knew how to dodge the metal detector and get out of the airport without getting noticed. Agencies like Chennai city police and the DRI, frequenting the airport premises, have been facing problems with CISF top brass who stopped the way entry passes were issued till last year, citing BCAS rules in the name of security. When contacted, a CISF official said the issue of entry passes for law-enforcing agencies is decided as per the norms of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. “We are not partial when it comes to allowing access to the airport. Anyone with a valid pass is permitted entry,” the official explained.
“We had a major tussle with the CISF in January this year to get passes issued. It was later sorted out with the involvement of higher officials,” said a senior city police official. The city police are involved in giving security to the airport at certain levels and its officials regularly accompany VIPs into and outside the airport. However, the stand-off between DRI and CISF was not easily resolved and the DRI had to follow CISF’s direction. Earlier, DRI personnel held passes which would allow them to descend on any south Indian airport without being stopped by security men.
“Because of the kind of job we do, we need that kind of freedom to move around without being stopped. Now, the CISF at Chennai airport has restricted our mobility. The DRI, Chennai, currently has only four passes which allows entry into the international and domestic terminals at Chennai airport. Other passes given to DRI enable them to access only one terminal at Chennai airport,” a DRI source said.
A supervisor with an advertising company and in-charge of maintaining ad billboards inside the airport, was caught by the DRI for being part of a smuggling racket; he was enjoying the power of an all-access pass. A retired army officer who owned a security agency, which was in-charge of security at the cargo section, was arrested for facilitating smuggling three weeks ago; he also held an airport access pass.
