Fresh equipment provided to CISF at Mangaluru airport to handle security challenges

PTI, Sep 1, 2023, 6:56 PM IST

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) on Friday handed over additional equipment to the airport security group (ASG) of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to enhance its ability to keep the premises safe.

The equipment will further boost the capability of the CISF, which is a part of the Central Armed Police Forces, tasked with guarding this vital national installation, to deal with any security-related challenges that the airport may face in an effective and professional manner, a release from the MIA here said.

The equipment handed over to ASG include multipurpose belts, thigh pistol holster, ballistic goggles, handheld metal detectors and their chargers, laser grip for pistols and customised pouches for spare magazines.

The airport also provided tyre-killers to the ASG. This critical piece of equipment will help ASG personnel disable vehicles that attempt to enter the critical operational area of the airport without proper authorisation.

Chief Airport Security Officer and Senior Commandant Virendra Kumar Joshi thanked the airport operator for being proactive in meeting the equipment requirements of the ASG as specified by the civil aviation security regulator.

“The rapport between the airport security team and the ASG will ensure that the security at the airport is handled effectively,” Joshi said, reiterating the commitment of the force to remain professional and people-friendly.

The equipment handed to the ASG is the continuation of a process that the airport operator has initiated since taking over operation and maintenance of the facility in October, 2020.

The ASG now has state-of-the art equipment, including a bullet resistant vehicle, good accommodation facility for its personnel in the form of additional barracks. This is also in line with the stated vision of the airport to be a safe, secure, customer centric and eco-friendly organisation, the release said.