KOCHI: A section of the ground-handling staff, attached to the airports in the state, grossly misuse their privileges if the current developments unfolding in the aviation sector are any indication. Out of the total gold smuggling cases reported from the airports in the state in recent years, over 80 per cent were directly linked to the ground-handling staff or the contractual employees.
Speaking to Express, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Joint Director Ananthakrishnan said though the involvement of airport staff in gold smuggling was not a new trend, the gravity of the situation, revealed after the arrest of around 20 ground-handling staff at the Cochin International Airport, was shocking. This has been a major area for concern for the security agencies as the new developments bring to fore chinks in the security at the airports, he said.
In this particular case, the accused had smuggled in only gold. But they can carry even explosives or any other harmful stuff with same ease by cashing in on the grim security scenario and their privileges as airport staff, he added.
According to officials, though the job of a ground-handling staffer was a big attraction for the job seekers until recently, the gold smuggling syndicates’ ‘realisation’ that these people are more reliable than the corrupt officials who used to claim 50 per cent of their ill-gotten profit, has taken the sheen off the job. Speaking to Express, a senior Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch official who arrested 25 persons said the staff were paid by smugglers based on their ‘mettle’. “If one has the courage to take the contraband from landing bay of the airport, where the carriers hand over the consignments to them, to outside the airport, he will get at least Rs 75,000 for every 2 kg of gold. If he needs more staff support, the amount will be shared among them. But the staff involved in the crime do not know each other like who else are involved in the network as the smugglers control them separately from outside the airport as part of keeping the entire affair confidential,” he said.
K N Raghavan, Commissioner of Customs, said the investigation into the case related to the ground-handling staff was on and the extent of their network could be confirmed once the detailed investigation got over. A C K Nair, Airport Director, CIAL, said: “We have directed the private agencies which recruit the staff to be vigilant against criminal elements. The agencies will be held responsible if the recruits violate airport security rules.”
