CISF orders checks for those in uniform at airport
THE INTELLIGENCE BUREAU, LAST YEAR, HAD ALERTED THE CISF ABOUT TERRORISTS GETTING HOLD OF ARMY UNIFORMS
NEWDELHI: In order to ensure that fake uniforms could not be used to get access to the Delhi airport, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has started dummy checks to verify the identity of the personnel. The force has asked the staff at the entry gates to not allow anyone without checking the identity cards even if one is wearing the uniform of police or the CISF.
Apart from regular airport employees, over 4,000 CISF personnel and 200 Delhi Police personnel guard the Delhi airport. Apart from entering terminal building using their airport entry pass, they also sometime use vehicles to enter from the airside.
“We need to ensure that staff posted at gate does not allow a person without checking his/her credentials just because of a uni- form. During the dummy checks, we sometimes send a uniformed person with forged identity card to see if our staff is able to catch them. We carry out such drives at regular intervals,” said a CISF officer, posted at the Delhi airport.
The Intelligence Bureau, last year, had alerted the CISF about terrorists getting hold of uniform of Captain and Subedar rank of Indian Army, and which they may wear to gain access to sensitive installations such as airport and Delhi Metro to escape getting frisked at the entry points.
“From time to time, such alerts keep coming but globally also, we have seen terrorists using uniform as cover. These days uniform of police or any para-military is easily available in the market. We have told our staff to frisk the personnel even if they are genuine security staff to ensure no one manages to sneak in,” the officer said.
CISF has formed a ‘sweepingsquad’ and those who are trained in profiling are part of it. “Their job is to identify suspicious passenger as soon as they enter the airport. The members of this squad have been placed across the airport,” said another officer.