CISF begins random luggage frisking
The CISF has begun random checking of luggage at major airports following the bomb attack at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport which killed at least 35 people. “After the Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCA) issued guidelines, we have begun random checking of passengers at all the airports. At three airports — Lucknow, Ahmedabad and
Hyderabad — baggage scanners have been installed. They will be introduced at all airports in the country,” CISF director-general N.R. Das told reporters in New Delhi.
Security agencies will also be deploying a host of gadgets including those that can scan shoes and bottled liquids of suspect air passengers at all airports across the country. “We have also suggested to deploy shoe and liquid detectors at all airports learning from past experiences, including the Moscow airport incident early this year,” he said.
The government has sanctioned deployment of large baggage scanners and sniffer dog squads at all airports guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a senior officer said.
Das said only suspect passengers, based on random profiling, will have to get their baggage screened at the new machines and not all air passengers will have to undergo this exercise, as this may lead to long queues.
Unveiling the new plan to strengthen airport security across the country, the CISF chief said almost all 58 airports under their security umbrella will be bifurcated into separate arrival and departure areas in order to fortify security arrangements. “This is to preclude the possibility...the situation which was there at the Moscow airport,” Mr Das said, adding, airport visitors will also not be allowed to carry any baggage into the terminals.
“We are also introducing dog squads consisting more than 300 sniffer dogs at the 58 airports under our command. At present, six airports have canine squads,” he said.
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