CBIC has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for wearing Body Cam by Custom officers responsible for Baggage Clearance
According to Instruction issued in this regard, CBIC has stated that aligning with the international best practices it has been decided to prescribe Body Worn Cameras (BWC) for baggage clearance officers deployed in the Red channel at international airports which is the channel meant for passengers submitting Baggage declaration for dutiable or restricted goods brought into the country.
All Custom Officers have been advised to wear BWC during any interaction with passengers within airport premises.
Standard Operating Procedure for use of Body Worn Cameras (BWC)by uniformed officers deployed at international airports
Deployment and handling of BWCs:
(i) All officers responsible for Baggage Clearance (Baggage Superintendent and ACO operating e-BR Module) shall wear the BWC in such a manner that the footage clearly captures the interaction of the officer with passenger. The Batch Deputy/ Assistant Commissioner (DC/AC) shall issue specific orders nominating officers for wearing BWCs.
(ii) The BWC shall remain under the supervision of the DC/AC in- charge of Baggage Batch (also named as Shift duty, etc., at various airports). A proper record shall be maintained in which the officers shall sign and record the time and date of wearing and removing the BWC in presence of supervisory officer. The DC/AC at the end of the shift shall hand over the equipment to the next DC/AC posted in Baggage Batch.
(iii) BWCs shall be for official departmental use only. The BWC shall be handed over to DC/AC in- charge of Baggage Batch if the officer is required to take break from the baggage clearance work or assigned different office duty.
(iv) At the end of the officer’s shift, the officer shall transfer all the recorded data into a dedicated computer system of DC/ AC (Admin). The information should be stored in a dedicated password protected folder for each Batch with intimation (by Message/email) to the concerned Additional/Joint Commissioner (ADC/JC), Airport. It shall be ensured that no data is kept in BWC and the officer deployed for next shift shall also confirm that no earlier data remain on the BWC.
(v) The encrypted data from dedicated computer system of DC/AC(Admin) shall be transferred every 24 hours to a secure folder that shall be stored in the computer of vigilance section with additional backup be stored in dedicated hard drive (HDD) in the custody of DC/AC vigilance section. The data shall be erased from the system of DC/AC-Baggage Batch after transfer
(vi) In order to safeguard privacy issues, Additional Commissioner/ Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) shall be nominated as Admin for the encrypted data.
(vii) The recordings shall be retained for 90 days unless required for inquiry, investigation, or judicial proceedings for longer period. Any external access or usage will be with prior approval of the Principal Commissioner/Commissioner. The ADC/JC (Vigilance) shall conduct periodic random monitoring of these recordings.
Use of BWC by the officers deputed at international airports:
(i) As and when a passenger comes/diverted to the Red channel counter, the officer shall start recording the proceedings and stop the recording only after the examination and interaction with the passenger is over.
(ii) The BWC shall be activated prior to any interaction with passengers and continue recording uninterrupted until the interaction is completed. The officer shall courteously inform the passenger that the interaction is being recorded as part of transparency measures.
(iii) The BWC shall be placed on the right side at a space specifically designed in the uniform jacket or shirt, ensuring an unobstructed field of view that clearly captures the interaction.
(iv) Each BWC should be a stand-alone device without any connection to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or SIM functionality.
(v) The recorded data shall be securely transferred to the designated data storage system at the end of each shift/day, following proper authentication procedures. Tampering, deletion, or unauthorized access to footage is strictly prohibited.
(vi) In cases where an officer, due to operational exigency, is unable to use the BWC (e.g., equipment malfunction, safety hazard, etc.), a brief written record of the reason shall be made in the duty register and attested by the supervisory officer. This shall be brought to the notice of the DC/AC in-charge of Baggage Batch for independent cross-verification.
(vii) Supervisory officers shall conduct periodic verification of the proper usage of BWCs
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