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

Mumbai: As the third day passed by without any major breakthrough in the investigation into the airport robbery incident, the airport police told Newsline that there was serious shortage of manpower at the station to secure the city-side area of the airport. After 26/11 attacks, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also roped in to help the Airport police to carry out surveillance.
It is further learnt from airport officials, who work in the airport’s domestic cargo complex, that the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had deployed two guards at the gates of the narrow road that leads to the Jet Airways and Air India cargo sections, but later withdrew them in November last year.
“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.
28/05/09 Indian Express

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Cargo May 2009, Safety May 2009