(a) whether attention of the Government is invited to the news-item captioned `Kerala airport raid rips security myth` appearing in `Hindustan Times` dated November 4, 2005;
(b) if so, the facts thereof; and
(c) the action taken/proposed to be taken to tighten securty at the Kozhikode International Airport?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION ( SHRI PRAFUL PATEL )
(a) & (b): Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) raided the Customs arrival hall on 2-3 November, 2005 wherein a casual worker engaged by the Customs was found in the Terminal Building with expired Airport Entry Pass. The expired Pass has been seized and the worker was handed over to the local Police by CISF. A case has been registered vide crime No.635/05 u/s 448 IPC and 78A and 161(I) of Aircraft Act and Rules. Regarding unidentified baggage as mentioned in the news-item, it is reported that on 30.10.2005 one passenger forgot to retrieve baggage on board Air India flight-957 (Bahrain-Doha-Calicut-Kochi) while disembarking at Kozhicode airport. It was detected by the cabin crew when the flight took off from Kochi for Calicut. Matter was reported to commander and the flight returned to Kochi for offloading the baggage. The security personnel on duty have been placed under suspension w.e.f. 4.11.2005 by Air India.
(c) To tighten security at the Kozhikode International Airport, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has instructed Airport Director and Commander, CISF to adhere to security norms strictly in view of the present security scenario and also recommended that services of defaulter may be terminated and his entry to the airport may also be banned.