Mumbai and five other Indian airports to do away with tagging, stamping hand baggage

The CISF chief added that the tagging system, which India has been following for the past 15 years, does not exist in other countries.

Six airports in the country, including that in Mumbai will stop stamping and tagging the hand baggage that fliers carry, from Thursday, said O.P Singh, DG, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Six airports in the country including Mumbai airport will stop stamping or tagging hand baggage the travellers carry from Thursday (HT File Photo)

The move has been carried out on an experimental basis, he added.

The CISF chief added that the tagging system, which is followed in India for the last 15 years, does not exist in other countries. “The focus will be on the second layer of security. Screeners will change every 20 minutes,” said Singh.

CISF will get an additional 35,000 employees, of which a large chunk will be deployed for airport security. Moreover, a cap may be introduced on the number of hand baggages. “We may, with time, implement the one hand baggage per passenger rule,” said Singh.

He added that since demonetisation, more than Rs 70 crore in cash and more than 170 kg gold had been seized at airports.

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