Mumbai: In a startling development, more than 15 senior and middle-management officials of Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) were allegedly forced to resign after being caught on CCTV taking confiscated
items from airport security checks for personal use. Reports quoting aviation sources said the officials, some with decades of service, were confronted last month and told to step down or face termination.
The items in question were Security Restricted Articles (SRA), objects such as coconuts, oil bottles, knives, lighters, e-cigarettes, batteries, toys and scissors, which are banned from passenger cabins and routinely seized by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) during pre-departure checks. These confiscated goods are typically recorded, marked for disposal, or handed over to NGOs such as the Rescue Foundation.
CCTV Footage Found Showing Officials Stealing Seized Items
MIAL’s HR team is said to have produced CCTV footage showing officials collecting these items for personal use. Those who resigned included senior duty terminal officers, duty terminal managers, deputy managers and senior executives, many of whom had been employed for 10 to 20 years.
While speaking to the Times of India, on condition of anonymity, one of the affected officials claimed the goods were seen as nuisance items rather than contraband. “For years nobody bothered about discarded coconuts or oil bottles. We assumed taking them wasn’t a major violation. But instead of a warning, we were pushed out immediately,” he said.
The officials argue the punishment was disproportionate, especially since this was a first-time offence and no formal inquiry was held. Legal experts also criticised the manner of termination. Advocate Ashok Shetty stated that termination without due process amounted to illegal dismissal. “The punishment should be commensurate with the gravity of the misconduct. The Supreme Court has stressed the importance of fair hearing before any such action,” he added, according to the report.
MIAL has not issued an official statement on the matter. However, insiders suggest the crackdown was aimed at tightening discipline and setting an example for staff handling restricted items.
Mumbai airport, which handles around 1.5 lakh passengers daily, routinely confiscates large volumes of banned articles. According to the TOI report, records from May showed security staff seizing two e-cigarettes, 25 matchboxes, 50 coconuts, 20 talcum powders, 12 scissors, nine knives, 14 screwdrivers and several tools, all items passengers attempted to carry in hand baggage. On some days, the SRA list runs into dozens of objects, ranging from toy guns and pepper spray to luggage chains and chilli powder.
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