CISF frisks ground handling staffer at Mumbai airport, finds $60,000

The ground handling staffer at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (CSMIA) international airport caught with $60,000 told CISF personnel that he was to hand over the money to a passenger boarding a Dubai flight.

NEW DELHI: A ground handling staffer was caught with $60,000 ( ₹44 lakh) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (CSMIA) international airport on Friday. The incident took place at around 12.40am when an on-duty Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel frisked the staffer.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Mumbai airport found $60,000 on a ground handling staffer during frisking. (AP File Photo/Representative Image)

The staff was identified as Ritesh Parker, working for Aviaxpert Pvt. Ltd, a ground handling agency at Mumbai Airport.

“During frisking of a ground handling agency staff at International Security Hold Area (SHA) of Terminal 2 at Mumbai, a CISF personnel observed that the ground staff had concealed something at the lower part of his body under his clothes and socks. During thorough physical checking of the staff, 60,000 US dollars worth Rs. 45 lakh (approximately) were recovered from him,” said a CISF spokesperson.

The spokesperson said Parker told CISF personnel said that he was going to hand over the foreign currency to a passenger at the airport’s boarding gate 46.

A CISF surveillance team traced the passenger who was to board an IndiGo flight to Dubai, IndiGo 6E-8271, which was to take off at 1.25am. “The passenger was caught near boarding gate 46,” the spokesperson said.

The passenger has denied his involvement in the case. CISF has handed over the staffer and passenger along with the foreign currency to air intelligence unit (AIU) of Mumbai Airport.