Kolkata: Airport police arrested four alleged taxi touts at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Tuesday as part of a year-end crackdown on harassment of passengers arriving in the city during the winter festive rush, said officers from the NSCBI police. The arrested men were identified as Samsuddin Molla, Md A Yunus, Sekh Fikir Ali and Akash Gupta, police said.
Police said the action is part of a sustained drive at the airport aimed at curbing unauthorised solicitation and intimidation of flyers in the arrivals area, where passenger volumes typically rise in late Dec. In the latest case, the accused were arrested on Tuesday from the New Terminal Building arrivals zone after an on-duty officer received a complaint from passengers.
The complaint, filed by an officer, St. Manta Dhar of NSCBI Airport Police Station, stated that around 1.25 pm on Tuesday, a passenger alleged that cab drivers first asked for the destination and offered a ride at a rate higher than the local pre-paid taxi service. They even threatened the passenger when he protested.
The investigating officer said he moved to the spot and observed several drivers near the terminal's arrivals-side gate 3A/B allegedly demanding ‘a huge amount of money' above the normal fares from passengers. The complaint alleged that when passengers refused to pay, the men threatened them, claiming they were the only option for transport from the airport.
Police said a team then moved in, chased the suspects and detained four of them, while three others fled. The complaint stated the detained men also attempted to escape on seeing the police but were apprehended. The NSCBI police said enforcement would continue through the holiday period.