FPJ EXCLUSIVE: Discontent and humiliation plague senior customs officers at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: Discontent is brewing in the senior ranks of front line customs officers recently posted at Mumbai airport. The customs officers' morale has hit an all time low with humiliation of working under subordinates facing enquiries at the sensitive Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

These officers of high integrity and experience in intelligence and administration were specially selected by the Principal Customs Commissioner (General) to replace corruption-tainted 38 airport customs superintendents and air customs officers after the Free Press Journal expose on the GPay digital extortion racket rampant at Mumbai Airport.

Senior Customs Superintendents of 1991-1994 batch were transferred to Mumbai airport after selection on the basis of seniority and integrity in mid April and were posted by the Airport Customs Commissioner under much junior Customs Superintendents of 2011-2014 batch leading the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) and Uniform batch.

"We are being humiliated"

“We are being humiliated and made to work under junior officers. We are not allowed to take any decisions and are constantly being micromanaged. This is demoralising and we are not able to perform our duties to the best of our abilities,” alleged a customs superintendent narrating the bitter experiences at the airport.

Airport Customs Commissioner Manish Mani Tiwari did not respond to repeated calls and messages to clarify on the irregularities of posting senior experienced officials under subordinates for frontline duties at the airport.

Senior customs officials were tight-lipped about the irregularities but admitted that superintendents of 1991-1994 Staff Selection Commission were posted under 2011-2014 batch junior officers because of administrative reasons.

“The morale of the senior officers suffers when corruption tainted officers are incharge of sensitive posts and supersede experienced officers in the Air Pool,” rued the senior customs superintendent.

Foreign currency smuggling

Air Intelligence Unit D batch incharge Mukesh Sinha, 2011 customs superintendent, supersedes 1992 senior customs superintendent Shankar Pawar. Sinha is facing enquiry in Rs8.3 crore foreign currency smuggling irregularities and claimed reward for the CISF seizure while allowing the accused to travel abroad.

Similarly 2012 customs superintendent Ankit Goyal superseded another experienced senior customs superintendent and made administration incharge for postings and duty roosters of the customs officers at the airport. While 1991 senior customs superintendent with rich DRI experience is working under subordinate 2014 customs superintendent Pratik, incharge of Air Intelligence Unit A batch.

All the three junior officers were earlier posted as protocol officers at the airport and given lucrative postings as batch incharges over senior officers.