Customs officers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport will
soon get frequent firearms training like the police and paramilitary
forces.
Senior customs officers had expressed concern over the
personnel’s inability to handle firearms since they are not frequently
used. This move has come after the rise in the number of smuggling
gangs caught at the airport over the past several years.
“Organised smuggling gangs are financially well resourced and can also
possess firearms. We have busted several such rackets over the past
several years and cannot rule out the possibility of a scenario where
we might have to trade rounds. Our personnel should be prepared for
such situations. We will now train with the Maharashtra police and a
team of seven officers has already been sent to the Central Reserve
Police Force training school in Indore,” said a Mumbai airport customs
official requesting anonymity. He added that airport customs
commissioner P.M. Salim has taken the initiative.
Explaining the lack of expertise in handling weapons, a customs
official said that personnel do not fire their weapons in over 15 to
20 years. There are about 250 customs officers at the airport
including men from the Air Intelligence Unit.