Airport Theft: Security Screening Incidents Rise

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The government on Thursday said nine theft incidents during the security screening process have been reported at six airports, including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, this year till November 27.

"The incidents of theft are a law and order issue, which is a State subject. As and when such incidents are brought to notice, complaints are lodged with the local police, which takes further action," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

The minister said that a total of nine theft incidents have been reported from January 1 to November 27 this year during the security screening process at the airports.

Four theft incidents have been reported at the Bengaluru airport and one each at Hyderbad, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur and Rajkot airports, as per the data shared by the minister.

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) regulations require that all areas of the terminal building of the airports should be covered by CCTV coverage.

Various steps are being taken to prevent theft incidents, including frisking of ground handling staff when they are leaving the airports and deployment of airline security staff in the Baggage Makeup Area (BMA)/Baggage Breakup Area (BBA) around the cargo-hold area of the airline, the minister said.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) help desk counters have also been set up at the airports for receipt of complaints of theft from passengers and to further hand over the complaint to the local police.