TIRUCHY: Little do passengers arriving at the airport here after flying for hours in international flights expect that trouble in the guise of foreign currency exchange touts await them at the terminal’s exit. While the flyers complain of the illegal dealers often forcing them into forex transactions, activists and airport officials complain that the touts get away as they are hand-in-glove with the police.
There are currently two money exchange counters inside the airport catering to the thousands of passengers who arrive and leave via the dozen-odd international flights every day. In this situation, several unauthorised forex brokers wait at the terminal’s exit and push passengers into currency exchange transactions, complain activists.
While airport authorities say they have raised the issue with the police several times, they add that the latter show no interest in taking necessary action. Some ground-level police officials are hand-in-glove with the touts, add activists and officials. An activist who did not wish to be named said, "At the arrivals' section exit, touts carrying lakhs of rupees in hand in public force passengers to exchange foreign currency.
The transactions take place before security personnel. Despite the presence of several CCTV cameras, the illegal money exchange continues. Lakhs of rupees change hands every day on the airport premises." "Illegal money exchange is more frequent, especially at night. There is still no permanent solution and passengers also don’t feel safe.
When the issue comes to light, the police arrest people who have nothing to do with the problem. Senior police officials should hence take proper action," he added. T Ravisankar, a passenger from Pudukottai, said, "We do not know how to believe them (touts). They do not offer any receipt for transactions. I am returning here after two years of toil abroad.
Such illegal transactions leave us angry and in fear." Another passenger, V Kathiravan, said, "It seems like they (the touts) are deceiving us by understating the market value of the currency. Also, their commission for currency exchange is more. It is very difficult for us to get past the touts as they chase us."
When enquired, City Commissioner of Police M Sathya Priya, who is also the chairperson of the aerodrome committee of the airport, said, "We have been keeping vigil on the issue for the past 10 days. No such issues are prevalent at the airport. We will, however, probe the matter."