CHENNAI: The arrest of the driver of a private airline for his attempt to help ephedrine smugglers take a large consignment to Malaysia on Monday, has opened up a can of worms about the easy security clearance at the city airport.Even as inquiries are on into the modus operandi of the five, a security breach of this scale suggests a dangerous situation. While airport officials agree that it is a “little irritating” when some security personnel frisk regular airport or airline staff, the fact remains that quite a few make it to the tarmac sans frisking or intense checking. The issue of lacklustre security for regulars became murkier after a Jet Airways spokesperson came out with a statement that the driver was not actually an employee, “but a contract worker employed for six months”.A source with the airline alleged that the recruitment of some ground and service personnel had long since been outsourced through contractors, and that they were responsible for the background checks. “Some two decades ago, before we were made permanent staff, several agencies conducted strict background checks because we work in high security areas,” said a source in the erstwhile Indian Airlines. Now, other than technical and non-essential staff, private air carriers have outsourced most of their services, he added.“Everything from loading, driving, maintenance in the aircraft and even ground staff are outsourced by private airlines,” he claimed. Airport Director E P Hareendranathan confirmed that “a very large number of contracted workers had security clearance to enter the terminal” as long as they had clearance from the airline. Considering that these external agencies pay these workers only minimum wages, it is not surprising that they take the bait from smugglers, added the source.With the Airports Authority of India (AAI) staff alone numbering 1,200, the sheer volume of workers entering the leaving the airport at will is a cause for concern. “We will be tightening the security measures for all staff, especially these contract and non-regular workers,” assured the director. As police sources put it, after having tightened the screws on passenger security, the time has come for the CISF to look inward.
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