Sources also revealed that Malik had been in touch with one Sarbans Singh, the contact man who had come to receive the passenger. The passenger was an alleged carrier of mobile phones and Thursday's was his third trip abroad this month, investigations revealed. He had made 11 trips abroad last year alone.

The assistant Customs commissioner on duty insisted that the bags be screened though the passenger claimed he had nothing to declare. Malik had allegedly told his staff that he was expecting a friend, and that he should be `welcomed'.

The assistantcommissioner's firmness is seen as a telling effect of Chief Commissioner of Customs G S Tampi's new drive to clean up the department following searches by the Central Bureau of Investigation at the Air Cargo Complex last week.

Malik will now work as a departmental representative at the Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal, which is the tribunal for Customs cases. CGAT is considered a dry posting, quite contrary to the much hankered-after airport posting.