Begumpet tops IB’s escape portal list

HYDERABAD: The Begumpet airport, alongwith Bangalore, tops the Intelligence Bureau’s list of preferred choicesfor militants and criminals to leave the country. The IB plans to take overimmigration counter duties at the airport soon.The immigration cellat the Begumpet airport, manned by the city police, is not only poorly equippedbut also has a ‘negative’ reputation in law-enforcement circles. Asmany as seven immigration officials here were given charge memos in the lasteight months for their failure to detect fake passports.The personscarrying these fake passports were caught in Dubai and deported toIndia.Two years ago, V Chittaranjan, assistant commissioner ofpolice, three inspectors — M Ananth Reddy, Mannulal and Mohammed SadiqAhmed, five sub inspectors and some constables — all staff at theimmigration counters were suspended at one go in connection with a fake passportracket two years ago.Officials suspect the racket involving someimmigration staff and travel agents had facilitated the escape of hundreds ofwanted criminals.However, officials say that the failure does notmean that all the immigration staff had colluded with the criminals. Tremendouswork pressure and lack of modern equipment is cited as the reasons for suchfailures. Besides, the immigration officials also lack training.Inview of vulnerability and the increasing threat from various terrorist groups,the IB has decided to take over immigration counters at nine airports in thecountry. Top priority has been given to the Hyderabad airport.A teamof officers comprising Bureau of Immigration assistant director, NationalInformatics Centre (NIC) director and a couple of other officers visited theHyderabad airport on Tuesday.The Bureau of Immigration inassociation with the NIC has decided to set up machine readers, surveillancecameras, computers, questioned document examiners (QDX), more number of ultraviolet lamps and magnifying glasses.Officials said that the IB willtake over the Hyderabad immigration in another three months.