CBI team raids Chennai airport

By IANS

Chennai : A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team Saturday searched the commercial sections of the Chennai airport for alleged irregularities in commercial transactions by airport officials.


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CBI sources said the raid was conducted between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. and “some documents” were seized by the team, which has been keeping watch on the airport for several weeks now, following specific complaints.

A tender for privatisation of the airport is expected to be opened in the coming week, and there have been complaints of “deals within deals” for privatisation and “understandings” even before the tender is called.

Singapore’s Changi Airport International is keen to develop the Chennai and Kolkata airports and a leading business tycoon in south India is also in the fray for the bid for Chennai.

In recent weeks, the airport has seen large amounts of narcotics haul too and CBI officials hinted that Singapore-based smuggling gangs were operating freely out of the city.

Although no arrests have been made, a source said, “The documents seized are expected to be revealing.”

Earlier last week, the CBI raided the customs area in the international arrivals section of the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad and arrested seven customs and central excise officials.

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