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Airport staff put on alert, uniforms may invite frisking
Airport guards have been asked to watch out for people in military and police uniforms as militants could use the camouflage to sneak into terminals before Republic Day, when threats of terrorist attacks escalate.
Airport guards have been asked to watch out for people in military and police uniforms as militants could use the camouflage to sneak into terminals before Republic Day, when threats of terrorist attacks escalate.
The Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued an advisory on December 28, asking security staff to be more vigilant about people in uniform entering airports.
“Some uniformed staff has airport entry pass. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been asked to frisk them carefully even if they have the pass. The security staff has the tendency of going soft if someone is from the police or army. This can be used as a cover,” a BCAS official said.
The CISF, which guards the country’s airports has deployed additional measures on approach roads to terminals after the January 6 Florida attack in which a gunman killed five people at the airport entry point.
The CISF has asked its staff to randomly profile passengers at entry points and check their baggage, a move that could lead to long queues. Also, passengers may be asked for baggage scanning and frisking at the boarding point, conducted when the threat level is at its highest.
“We request passengers to reach before time as queues are expected to be longer because of the multiple layers of security,” CISF director general OP Singh said on Monday.
The paramilitary force has assembled a “sweeping squad” with personnel trained to profile passengers and detect suspicious movements.
