After 34 kg of gold went missing from its safe vault, the Customs office has installed Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at its strongroom.
Though the Customs Department has been dabbling with the idea for quite sometime now, the recent incident has nudged it to takes steps to bolster security immediately .
A senior official of the Tiruchi Customs Commissionerate told The Hindu that surveillance cameras have already started functioning.
The round-the-clock surveillance would help officials check unauthorised entry and access to the strongroom. The video footage would be monitored regularly, he said.
Similarly, the overall security system at the Customs office has been strengthened with the deployment of more security guards. All outsiders have to furnish basic information for getting visitor pass.
Meanwhile, locks of strong room have been changed. A fresh team has been given the power of operating the safe vault.
Missing gold
The change in the security system has assumed significance in the wake of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registering a case in connection with the missing of 34 kg of gold and foreign currency equivalent to about Rs.17 lakh from the safe vault.
They were found missing when a team of officials opened the safe vault to produce the valuables before a court in connection with a case.
It is to be noted that the Tiruchi police, which inspected the scene of crime based on complaint by the Customs authorities, had expressed surprise over the absence of CCTV cameras at the strong room.
