Additional equipment handed over to ASG at Mangaluru Airport to handle security challenges

The Mangaluru International Airport on Friday handed over additional equipment to the Airport Security Group (ASG) of CISF. The equipment will further boost the capability of the Central Armed Police Force, tasked with guarding the airport, to deal with any security-related challenges that the airport may face going forward in an effective and professional manner.

The equipment handed over to ASG includes multipurpose belts, thigh pistol holster, ballistic goggles, handheld metal detectors and their chargers, laser grips 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 authorization, the airport spokesperson said.

Virendra Kumar Joshi, senior commandant and Chief Airport Security Officer 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 while reiterating the commitment of the force to remain professional, yet people-friendly.

The equipment handed to the ASG is a continuation of a process that the airport operator has initiated since taking over the operation and maintenance of the facility in October 2020. The ASG now has state-of-the-art equipment, and this includes a bullet-resistant vehicle and, a good accommodation facility for its personnel in the form of an additional barrack. This is also in line with the stated vision of the airport to be a safe, secure, customer-centric and eco-friendly organisation.