Eight officials relieved of duties following the escape of 30 ‘suspected’ passengers from Lucknow airport

Lucknow, April 5 (IANS) – Eight officers have been ‘relieved of their duties’ after 30 passengers, detained on suspicion of smuggling gold, fled from the custody of customs officials at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport on Tuesday. The incident has raised concerns about security protocols at the airport and calls for a thorough investigation.

The incident occurred after a tip-off from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence about passengers arriving with illegal gold and cigarette sticks worth Rs 3.5 crore from the UAE. The suspects were detained at the airport after disembarking from the Sharjah-Lucknow flight on Monday morning. Airport Assistant Commissioner A.K. Singh lodged a case against all absconders at the Sarojini Nagar police station on Wednesday.

Following their detention and questioning by the DRI, some passengers confessed to concealing gold in their stomachs. The DRI transferred the passengers to the customs department on Tuesday, but some suspects managed to escape from custody. Chaos ensued as one passenger’s health deteriorated during interrogation, leading to the others pushing CISF personnel and fleeing the scene.

The customs department has replaced the officers involved in the incident. This escape has highlighted flaws in the security measures at the airport and has prompted demands for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances that allowed the suspects to flee. The effectiveness of security protocols is being questioned, and authorities are working to prevent such incidents in the future.