Tamil Nadu   

Smugglers make most of scanning loopholes

CHENNAI: Chennai airport authorities have found that smugglers are making the most of loopholes in the baggage screening system in the international airport to check in bags that have bypassed security screening.

Smugglers have been found to use dubious security tags or exchange straps of already-screened bags with an accomplice, who uses the strap to skip screening, airport sources say. The modus operandi came to light during recent seizures by Customs officials. Of the 10 cases of Star tortoises seizure last year, four were from passengers who had wrapped old or fake security tags around their bags. When the Customs officials recalled the checked-in baggage, they found the straps tampered with.

How do the smugglers get away with it? With the visitors’ area at the international airport crowded and the limited number of security personnel on guard, passengers only have to flash their tickets to enter the restricted departures area. Security officials rarely make sure that the security tags are in order. This means passengers can proceed straight to the check-in counters virtually without any screening.

Many airlines rely on the airport’s baggage screening system and have not evolved independent scanning of checked-in bags. Now, however, Jet Airways has decided to plug the security gaps. The airline has set up an independent security machine beyond the check-in and immigration desks to make sure bags that evade the airport’s screening process are checked.

An airline official confirmed that the machine had been in operation since April and would scan every bag on its international flights. “There is too much congestion in the main departure area, and this machine is much more effective and sensitive,” the official said.

“There is no doubt that this greatly improves security as we will make sure that every bag is scanned.”

Officials say Chennai needs to raise security levels to the standard of international airports.

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