CISF seeking shoe scanners at airports

Concerned over recent cases of gold being smuggled by flyers in their shoes, security agencies guarding Indian airports want to deploy 'shoe scanners' to check such practices.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards 59 civil airports in the country, is eyeing some select types of 'shoe scanners' which are currently in use in the USA.
CISF will now talk to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with a view to deploying these machines on a trial basis at some select and sensitive airports like Delhi and Mumbai.
"We are alive to all kinds of threats that could emerge from the shoes of air travellers.

"Some recent incidents of gold smuggling... Have made us think about this," CISF Additional Director General (Airport security) OP Singh told PTI.
Such scanners are being deployed at various airports internationally and some of the prototypes are being studied by the force, Singh said.

Recently, on February 27, a passenger coming in from Riyadh was apprehended at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here for smuggling 1kg of gold biscuits in his shoes.
Past incidents also suggest that shoes can be used to conceal and carry prohibited items on to an aircraft.
Once such scanners are deployed in the country, suspected passengers could be subjected to a rigorous check, security officials said.

Some standard operating procedures will have to be framed by BCAS in this regard, sources said.
A typical shoe scanner is a medium-sized device which is installed on the floor and passengers have to slowly walk through it.
Any suspicious object in the footwear will lead to a sharp beep by the machine.
There are plans to hand over some more airports to CISF in the northern part of the country which are at present guarded by other forces.