In an ambitious move that could change the way airport security in India works, the Cabinet Committee on Security will soon discuss an ambitious proposal to acquire highly sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment for scanning and checking both passengers and baggage for all leading airports.
Highly placed government sources said the equipment, in particular will, be highly useful in detecting “human bombs” where explosive devices are surgically implanted in a human body.
The move, sources added, has been necessitated in wake of a recent alert issued by the Intelligence Bureau through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security that Indian airports could be targeted by human bombs where through a sophisticated surgical procedure the explosive can be implanted in the human body just beneath the skin. It may not be very easy for security agencies and metal detectors to trace such explosive material. The alert mentioned that in certain cases the explosive can even be attached as an external component with the suspect acting like a sick passenger.
Indian intelligence agencies, sources added, have been receiving lot of inputs from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding security threat to the aviation sector in India.
Senior officials involved with aviation security in the country feel that Indian security personnel rely a lot on physical check and frisking. But in view of the changed security scenario and increased threat perception, the government is keen to use more of technology now.
The move will help bring Indian airports at par with leading airports in Europe and the United States in use of technology for security related issues.
Once the CCS clears the proposal in principle, a committee of experts will be constituted to shortlist the kind of hi-tech equipment that is most suitable for the Indian scenario.
“We will procure the latest and the most sophisticated machines that will detect not just the explosives, but the slightest banned substance either on the human body or baggage,” a senior security official said.