The Centre has alerted all airports to maintain a hawk's eye vigil for possible shipments of cash being taken out of the country after demonetisation. Both the ministries of finance and home have taken note of the possibilities of cash being taken out by such routes and have alerted the security agencies including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is in charge of security at airports in the country. Out of 130 airports in the country, 98 have been asked to step up measures to scan for illegal money and gold.
Sources said that the intelligence and security forces have been alerted to keep an eye out for excessive cash or gold in handbags, detected in X-rays, which they must report to air intelligence unit of income tax. Offenders can be intercepted there or at the arrival airport.
Air intelligence units of the income tax department are stationed at all major airports in the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. These units function under the investigation wing of the department and work in close coordination with CISF, enforcement directorate, directorate of revenue intelligence, customs department, airport administration and so on. They will keep a tab on huge cash or any incriminating material being carried from one place to another for facilitating tax evasion.
