No compulsory checking at green channel by customs

In a recent development, the customs unit at the Mumbai airport made a change in the green channel for international passengers coming to the city. Now, the customs will only perform random checks instead of compulsory hand baggage checking, said sources. Passengers can walk through the green channel after declaring that they are not carrying any valuables.

However, airport insiders feel smugglers can take advantage of random checks and easily sneak in or out. An official from the customs told The Asian Age that nowadays gold flow has reduced and owing to summer holidays, passengers queuing up at the terminal building on the green channel is increasing, so the decision was taken.

A security source from airport said that recently a few passengers were nabbed carrying cigarettes packets illegally in their hand baggage, so no passenger should be given the benefit of doubt while coming from an international destination. A top customs official rejected such claims and said the new system would help in increasing intelligence strength, and help in tracking smugglers quickly via random checks.