Domestic threats will shape profiling of air passengers

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The facility for profiling passengers — the Advance Passenger Information Control System (APICS) — being considered for implementation at Indian airports will focus on risk parameters specific to Indian security requirements. But, it may have procedures in common with the passenger profiling prevalent in the USA.

APICS was launched in its pilot phase at Delhi airport for Air-India from July 1. Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad said the initiative will later be extended to other airlines and airports.

Under the system, passengers will have to submit certain personal details to the airline they are flying with. The details will be transmitted to the destination prior to their arrival. Prasad said the facility speeds up clearance on arrival. Although some airlines had voiced objections citing problems in the system, several countries are demanding such information, he said, adding that the system may become universal in future.

A senior customs officer in Mumbai said, “The basic premise while profiling passengers to segregate potential terror suspects has to be aimed at identifying Al Qaeda operatives.” He said the data analysis system is not aimed at profiling specific communities. “But obviously, it may trouble some communities.”

The officer said the system will have airport-specific profiling patterns. “For instance, in Kolkata, the APICS database will be oriented to profile more citizens from the Northeast for thorough examination.” In Chennai, it will be programmed to identify operatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

“In Delhi and Mumbai, the system will lookout for possible Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Al Qaeda operatives,” the officer said. “This cannot be helped.”  

All airlines flying into India were given written instructions by the civil aviation ministry in November 2005 under section 30 of the Customs Act, making it mandatory for them to submit passenger manifests to immigration and customs 15 minutes after takeoff.

“Unfortunately, except for Air-India, which provides the manifests a couple of hours before its flights touch down at Indian airports, airlines have failed to comply,” the officer said. “We may start taking serious action - including cancelling the licences that allow them to fly into India - if things do not improve.”

The officer cited the incident involving the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai, which was diverted following a false terror alarm. “Even the day after the flight was scheduled to land at Mumbai airport at 10:30pm, officials of the Intelligence Bureau, Central Industrial Security Force, and immigration and customs were unable to procure the passenger manifest from the Northwest counter at Mumbai airport,” he said.

Close co-operation between countries is needed to make APICS effective. Currently, data exchange protocols are not satisfactory. For example, while Australia shares information with the US about flights leaving its airports, information from the US is not available to security agencies in Australia. Both countries use APICS.