Govt creating database of suspicious air travellers

The finance ministry is working on a project to profile travellers, both Indian and foreign, entering and exiting the country whose activities are seen as suspicious. Over 2,000 people are believed to be on a surveillance list being shared by economic intelligence agencies.

This is perhaps the first time that India is working a federal database, on the lines of the passenger profiling mechanism in the US, UK and Israel, to curb economic offences.

Sources said the over-a-year-old project contains a database of NRIs and Indian and foreign nationals whose movements, activities and disclosures to airport authorities have been found to be of suspicious nature. The disclosures include items being brought into the country which might indicate a pattern and raise doubts with regard to the motive.

The project is being carried out by Economic Intelligence Council (EIC), the apex body under the finance ministry, which is responsible for combating economic offences.

EIC is learnt to have shared some critical information in the past few months with revenue intelligence, foreign exchange enforcement agencies and customs and narcotics bureaux. “The idea is to identify passengers whose credibility, considering their conduct, disclosures and pattern of entry and exit are doubtful,” a senior finance ministry official said.