Security assessment done by central intelligence agencies at the Mumbai airport, after the bomb blast at Moscow airport last month, has thrown up some startling revelations.
Security assessment done by central intelligence agencies at the Mumbai airport, after the bomb blast at Moscow airport last month, has thrown up some startling revelations.
The assessment has found that the security is lax at the baggage screening counters inside the airport. The inline baggage screening system (IBSS) and the baggage checking system at the Mumbai airport are not all that foolproof, stated a recent report from the intelligence bureau (IB). After the Moscow airport blast on January 24, the agency asked the central security agencies to conduct a recce at Mumbai airport, which zeroed in on this.
The report pointed out how the loopholes in the baggage screening process can be exploited by terrorists. “The IBSS at the airport, at times, finds it difficult to detect weapons concealed in the bags,” it read. An official said that the screeners/machines detect items based on their density between 0 and 100 atomic number. “While explosives have a density between 0-10, metals have density above 100, thereby making it difficult for the machine to detect it,” he said.
The Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson said that there is nothing wrong with the screening system and there have been instances in the past where the IBSS had detect live cartridges and weapons from checked-in bags. “Moreover, world over visitors can enter airport terminal and go till the security hold area. It is a policy issue and the bureau of civil aviation security should address this,” he said.
In IBSS, there are six levels of screening after the baggage is checked in. In the first level, the baggage is screened by the machine; if the machine detects something suspicious, it sends it to the second level where an operator checks it; if he suspects something, he sends it to the third level. The second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth level of IBSS are manned by screeners appointed by the MIAL.
“If the weapon is not detected at the first level where there is no human eye, it can pass through the other five levels without raising any suspicion and directly go to the baggage make-up area and then to the aircraft’s cargo hold,” he said. “While the baggage is screened by MIAL, the cargo is screened by the airlines. In case a bag explodes in the cargo hold of the aircraft, who will be responsible?”
It showed it’s easy for anyone to enter with a ticket. “As the CISF at the terminal gate allows people to go in with a copy of the ticket without checking their bags, anyone can go in with a weapon,” the report said.
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