A man gets off a plane at Chennai airport, confident. He’s done his homework – knows where to go, who to meet and the blind spots. He looks around, sees no officials in sight and thinks he’s in the clear. But, the net is tightening around him.
The airport’s new AI-powered surveillance system has already marked him and sent alerts to officials. This AI system doesn’t just watch, it analyzes too. Micro-expressions, nervous gestures and unnatural movement patterns can be detected. Cameras track people’s movements, analyzing the posture, glances and the way they walk. A single upload of a photo, and there’s nowhere to hide.
“Smugglers might try to evade detection by wearing masks, but the system can still recognise them based on their gait and movement,” said city-based cybersecurity and data protection expert Vijay.
This high-tech surveillance network can track suspects in real-time, from terminal entry to exit, directly on their smartphones or tablets. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) officials recently met their counterparts from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi to discuss implementing AI-powered digital surveillance across major airports. Chennai, Trichy and Coimbatore airports in Tamil Nadu, known for high smuggling rates, have been prioritized for implementation by April.
While countries such as the US and the UK deal with smuggling drugs and arms, India and Sri Lanka face a different challenge – illicit trade of gold and live animals. “This is where an AI-powered CCTV network that utilizes thermal imaging comes into play. This allows us to scan for subtle temperature variations, detecting animals that might be hidden within luggage.
TN airports, particularly the one at Chennai, have seen an increase in seizures of gold, tobacco products, electronic gadgets and animals on the scheduled list over the past few months. “Smugglers conceal contraband in bodily cavities or hide them in aircraft components. We must move beyond conventional surveillance, especially when they are adept at finding loopholes in our systems. A recent example is how they tossed a gold parcel over a glass wall to a departing passenger, who then passed it to an airport employee,” said a senior official. More cases of ground staff being involved in smuggling have also been reported.
Chennai airport authorities confirmed that customs have requested access to more than 2,000 CCTV cameras and integration of facial recognition software. “Customs may request additional cameras at strategic locations to enhance monitoring. If they identify gaps in surveillance, they will be rectified,” an airport official said.
Smugglers are evolving. Now, so is security.