Forex tout raj enjoys easy ride at airport

Calcutta: One of the most secure places in the city, the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, resembles a railway station at least four times a day as touts take over the international terminal building.
These touts, around 15-20 of them, illegally trade in foreign exchange in the airport area during departure and arrival of flights, targeting unsuspecting passengers with the lure of attractive rates.
“I don’t know how the touts can freely run an illegal trade in a high-security zone,” wondered a frequent flier.
The security inside the airport is CISF’s responsibility while the state police — which has a police station dedicated for the airport — guard the area outside the terminal buildings. Plainclothes intelligence officers are also posted at the airport.
The security net, however, does not act as a deterrent for the touts as they shout out “Humse dollar lijiye, sasta milega (Take dollars from us, you will get it cheaper)”, at the entry or exit gates.
According to the rulebook, this trade of foreign exchange is illegal, as a licence from the Reserve Bank of India is a must to trade in foreign currencies. Trading with these illegal money-changers is also a crime, said a police officer.
R. Srinivasan, the airport director, admitted that the illegal foreign exchange trade does take place in the airport and its vicinity.
28/08/10 Sanjay Mandal/Telegraph

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Categories: airports aug 2010