KATHMANDU, July 24: While many questions are being raised about airport security, it has been revealed that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) are operated by the IMS Group owned by controversial businessman Deepak Malhotra. It has been found that the main control room of the CCTV cameras installed at the airport to monitor the activities both outside and inside the TIA is under the control of the IMS group. The activities that are recorded in the CCTV cameras are directly accessible to the company’s employees. “The employees of IMS monitor the movement of cargo and people at the airport through the CCTV cameras. They also monitor the luggage and goods passed through the TIA Customs Office,” said one of the sources at the airport.

Following the recent seizure of 100 kg gold by the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) after the smuggled gold had been cleared by the TIA Customs Office, the relevant agencies including the security unit at the airport have come under question. The DRI is conducting an in-depth investigation into the details of the incident by collecting the CCTV footage. It is suspected that the owner of IMS Group Deepak Malhotra, who has access to the CCTV cameras, has been helping in smuggling gold to the Indian border for a hefty commission of Rs 200,000 per kg.

Malhotra’s company has also been assigned the responsibility of operating the parking and arrival hall at the TIA. For this, The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has awarded the contract to Malhotra's company for 30 years under the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model. Based on this, Malhotra has also increased access to the CCTV cameras. "If you want to monitor the activities outside and inside the airport through the CCTV cameras, you should keep the security personnel and employees of ISM Group with you," said an employee of the airport. The police monitor the airport from their office through the CCTV cameras. TIA Customs Office and TIA Department of Immigration also monitor everything through these cameras. But the IMS Group, which is operating the parking and arrival hall outside the airport, has also been given access to internal CCTV cameras. "IMS Airport Services Pvt Ltd has been entrusted with the construction, management and operation of vehicle parking, passenger corridors, passenger waiting rooms, etc at the TIA. The employees of the company have access to the inside of the airport as well," the source said.

In 2067 BS, the government instructed the CAAN management committee to negotiate with the then Rasuwa KD JV in which Malhotra, Bimal Poddar and Mohan Acharya were partners. This group got permission for external management of the airport in 2069 BS.

"After the government gave the responsibility of airport management and CCTV monitoring to the company of traders involved in gold smuggling, questions have started to arise on this matter from all sides," said an official at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA). “How does a private company owned by a controversial businessman have access to the CCTV cameras through which the police are supposed to keep a watch on the airport all the time? The home ministry is also investigating this matter,” the official stated.

The security threat at the airport has increased as the airport management has been entrusted to the gangs and middlemen who have been smuggling gold from the airport for years. The international community has continuously expressed interest in the smuggling of gold and other goods from Nepal's airport and airport security. However, the government has given controversial businessman Malhotra's company access to not only the airport's external management, but also to the internal zones of the airport. “The airport is in a very sensitive area from the security point of view. Private companies should not be allowed to expand access to the internal management of the airport through CCTV cameras. The home ministry should control unauthorized activities through its mechanisms and prevent further damage,” said former Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police (DIG) Hemanta Malla.

Gold is smuggled in coordination with airport staff, customs and security agencies and airline staff. It has been revealed through various investigations that gold smuggling and illegal currency transactions are also carried out from some shops at the airport. In such a situation, the government should be sensitive about airport security. "It is a security challenge to make room for the controversial person inside the airport. After the people involved in gold smuggling and hundi business (illegal form of remitting money from abroad) have established a business inside the airport, has the amount of smuggling increased or decreased?" questioned former DIG Malla.

When the security of the airport was said to have been improved, in February 2022, a person entered the plane of Nepal Airlines Corporation without a passport and ticket. After that, the government formed a task force for improving airport security under the coordination of the then head of the Department of Immigration Narayan Prasad Bhattarai. The task force instructed the relevant agencies to strengthen the security system both outside and inside the airport. Claiming that due to the weakness in the security system of the outer parameter, unauthorized persons reached the sensitive area many times, the task force also suggested increasing security posts, increasing patrols, and increasing surveillance to tighten the security system in the airport area.

Bhattarai was the coordinator of the task force consisting of Colonel Anup Adhikari, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bed Bista, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kiran Basnet, Deputy Director of National Investigation Department Bishnu Mani Acharya, Director of Aviation Safety Basudev Bhattarai, Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation Anil Ghimire, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Pramod Nepal and Under Secretary of MoHP Goma Chemjong. "If the recommendations of the task force had been implemented, smuggling from the airport would have been controlled to a large extent," said a member of the task force. At that time, the task force also interrogated Malhotra and Bimal Poddar about the negligence seen in airport security. The incidents of smuggling from the airport, ranging from gold smuggling to chimpanzee trafficking, have exposed the weaknesses in the security system. Even in such a situation, the government is protecting the controversial businessmen by entrusting them with the management of the airport. Earlier, upon discovering Malhotra and his partner were involved in the gold smuggling incidents through the airport, authorities arrested and initiated investigations against Poddar, Pawan Agarwal and Mahabir Golyan.

A study task force was formed under the leadership of SP Krishna Prasad Koirala in the airport five years ago in order to strengthen the security system. The task force also pointed out various weaknesses in the airport's security and suggested measures for improvement. The task force suggested that ultramodern body scanners and X-ray machines should be installed at the airport, uniforms should be provided to all employees, and passes should not be given except in urgent cases. The proposal made by the then Director General of the Department of Customs, Laxmi Niraula, to install an ultramodern body scanner machine was ignored. 

Two years ago there was an increase in gold smuggling and the task force proposed to purchase and install a powerful scanner machine to control the misconduct. A machine called CT Explosives Detective System (CTEDS) was recommended to be purchased. Without buying the said machine, the old machine continues to be used. The body scanner used for security checks at the airport has not even been connected to the international terminal. Although the police have repeatedly suggested purchasing body scanners as well as X-ray machines, the process has not been carried out. Even though the airport generates millions of rupees in income, the government neglects to invest in advanced technologies for security, benefiting the smugglers.

 
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