Cargo robbery: police cite shortage of manpower to secure airport city side

“The heist was carried out in broad daylight and the noise was heard even at this place (Jet cargo area) after the car sped away. The car was then driven through the VIP road (adjoining terminal 2B’s approach road) where a police vehicle was parked. Even outside the terminal building,there was a CISF vehicle with a machine gun. Moreover,the police station is just 50-metre away from the spot where the car sped away it came out on the VIP road. Still nobody could even note down the number of the car,” said a senior cargo airport official.

“We are very much understaffed as far as manpower requirement is concerned. Carrying out surveillance work at the airport is an extremely difficult job,” said an official attached to the airport police station.

While security at the city side of the airport is the responsibility of the airport police,police officials had earlier maintained that some airlines were at fault,as they did not maintain adequate security at their gates. But refuting these charges,airline officials said that there was no mandate given to them either by the police or by MIAL to cordon off areas surrounding their cargo complex. “There was no clear mandate or instruction as to who is responsible for security of this area,” said the official.

The cargo complex,where the heist happened,was shifted to its current location in October last year from the site where construction work for terminal 1C is going on. In its earlier location,MIAL had restricted access to the complex through a booth and used to collect Rs 150 per vehicle as airport entry charges. However,after the shifting the cargo area,a senior cargo official said they do not maintain the records of the vehicles.

“The guards at the gate should ensure that vehicles are not parked in unauthorised areas to avoid clogging of the roads,” said a spokesperson for MIAL. “The guards should maintain traffic in the area. It is not our responsibility to provide security at the airport. What we are here for is to provide the infrastructure and machinery required by the security agency,” he said.

“This (shortage of manpower) is not a problem. What we have to concentrate on is results,” said DCP Airport Division,Nissar Tamboli.