KOCHI: As Kerala prepares to receive 15 flights with expatriates from Thursday, formations under the Customs Preventive Commissionerate and the Customs House in Kochi are mobilising officers to clear baggage and complete customs checks at airports. Customs units will be on high alert to thwart smuggling attempts. More personnel will be deployed at arrival points to ensure foolproof customs procedures at the airports in Kochi, Karipur and Thiruvananthapuram. Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar told TNIE that cargo section staff will be used at the arrival point for baggage clearance in airports under the Customs Preventive Commissionerate.
“Discussions are on with other agencies at airports to get more clarity about the standard operating procedure. We will deploy more personnel to ensure foolproof checking,” Kumar said. The Customs Commissioner said they will take adequate measures in tune with the airport operation guidelines contained in a Kerala High Court order passed in March. At the same time, officers will be keeping an eagle eye on errant passengers.
“Though passengers slated to arrive are persons stranded abroad, we cannot rule out the possibility of smuggling attempts as airports are being opened for passenger movement for the first time in over 40 days. Our formations will remain alert,” he said.
The safety of Customs officers will be given priority too. Before the lockdown, over 25 Customs officers in Kerala were sent under home quarantine as primary and secondary contacts of Covid-19 patients who transited through airports. “We will provide masks, gloves and sanitiser to officers at airports. In future, we will require advanced scanners including a full-body scanner to ensure that Customs officers don’t come in contact with passengers,” Kumar said.