Dogs missing in customs arsenal to nab smugglers
V Ayyappan | TNN
Sept 8,2008
Chennai: Customs officials at the airport and sea port are a worried lot as they do not have dog squads — a crucial tool in battling narcotics smugglers.
Recent seizure
s of heroin in quick succession show that the smugglers have started to train their attention on the airport as a potential and safe transit point to smuggle narcotics to Sri Lanka and south east Asian nations.
However, the customs are not able to detect as many cases as possible. And officials feel that the percentage of smuggling that goes undetected might be quite high.
Customs officials said that “a dog squad unit is yet to be set up here though a proposal has long been sent when the home ministry decided to acquire sniffer dogs and to set up such
However, the customs are not able to detect as many cases as possible. And officials feel that the percentage of smuggling that goes undetected might be quite high.
Customs officials said that “a dog squad unit is yet to be set up here though a proposal has long been sent when the home ministry decided to acquire sniffer dogs and to set up such
units at sensitive entry and exit points.”
In its absence the air customs depend on passenger profiling to crack down on smuggling of narcotics. Though the method has helped the customs crack difficult and quite unexpected cases in April, May and the one detected last week, many officials feel that the success rate would have been higher if sniffer dogs were available.
“We already have intelligence about the kind of passengers and also the flights that
In its absence the air customs depend on passenger profiling to crack down on smuggling of narcotics. Though the method has helped the customs crack difficult and quite unexpected cases in April, May and the one detected last week, many officials feel that the success rate would have been higher if sniffer dogs were available.
“We already have intelligence about the kind of passengers and also the flights that
smugglers mostly prefer. So, the sniffer dogs can be brought to check the baggage of passengers boarding such flights on regular basis. They can also be used in the tarmac area to check checked-in baggage,” the official said.
Sources said a dog squad was available at Mumbai. Hence, there was a possibility that smugglers might shift their attention from Mumbai to other exit points including Chennai.
In the three cases that had been detected, including the one seized last week, customs had found that the smugglers have used women as carriers. And the contraband had come from Delhi. “This implies that the smugglers are shifting base,” he added. Besides, officials said that profiling would not be useful to detect all attempts of smuggling. A special device called ion scanner is also used to screen the baggage of passengers to Sri Lanka.
However, this is not adequate. “We cannot put all the bags into this scanner,” said the official. “The smugglers have their own network and they select and also change routes that are safer, including air routes and also sea routes. The evasion is different in the sea port,” said Commissioner of Customs (sea port) C Rajan.
He said that “if a dog squad unit is set up it can be used for both air and the sea. Smugglers who use the sea port adopt strategies that are different from the air passengers. Hence, dog squads will be of great help to root out smuggling of narcotics from Chennai.”
Sources said a dog squad was available at Mumbai. Hence, there was a possibility that smugglers might shift their attention from Mumbai to other exit points including Chennai.
In the three cases that had been detected, including the one seized last week, customs had found that the smugglers have used women as carriers. And the contraband had come from Delhi. “This implies that the smugglers are shifting base,” he added. Besides, officials said that profiling would not be useful to detect all attempts of smuggling. A special device called ion scanner is also used to screen the baggage of passengers to Sri Lanka.
However, this is not adequate. “We cannot put all the bags into this scanner,” said the official. “The smugglers have their own network and they select and also change routes that are safer, including air routes and also sea routes. The evasion is different in the sea port,” said Commissioner of Customs (sea port) C Rajan.
He said that “if a dog squad unit is set up it can be used for both air and the sea. Smugglers who use the sea port adopt strategies that are different from the air passengers. Hence, dog squads will be of great help to root out smuggling of narcotics from Chennai.”
No comments:
Post a Comment