India dumps full monty X-ray at airports

AFP | Feb. 16, 2007

Indian airports have ditched high-powered X-ray surveillance that offers near-naked images of passengers amid fears of protests over privacy abuse, officials said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards Indian airports, said a single Backscatter X-ray device imported from the United States in November had been mothballed after its results shocked security personnel.

"It was quite unnerving ... terribly embarrassing actually," a CISF commandant who trained on the equipment, told AFP.

"Only one machine was brought to the Indira Gandhi International airport (in New Delhi) four months ago for trials, but we found the images were too revealing," a senior CISF official told the Times of India.

"Using the backscatter machine would have become very sensitive here," the official said.

Backscatter uses high-energy X-rays that can penetrate clothing. It is unlike X-rays used in medical applications, which pass through human tissues but bounce off bones or metal parts.

Security at most Indian airports is usually tight due to fear of attack by Kashmiri guerrillas fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan territory since 1989.