Cracking the whip on touts who dupe foreign tourists and domestic travellers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Delhi Police has arrested more than 400 such people this year, officers said on Wednesday. DCP (IGI) Devesh Mahla said the airport unit has undertaken a targeted campaign to curb touting activities at the IGI Airport. To this end, he said anti-touting teams in uniform and plainclothes have been deployed on regular patrol to identify and apprehend touts who solicit passengers for various services such as money exchange, transportation, porter services and assistance with customs clearance. “We are running public awareness campaigns to brief passengers about common scams and encourage them to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police officer or security personnel,” the DCP further said. He added that surveillance has also been enhanced through a network of strategically placed CCTV cameras. "The efforts have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of arrests. 474 touts were nabbed in 2023 as compared to 220 in 2022. This sends a strong message that such activities will not be tolerated at the IGI Airport," said the officer. Externment proceedings — removal of persons from a specific area who are repeatedly involved in acts of touting or malpractices — is also being undertaken under Sections 47 to 56 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978. Explaining the modus operandi of the touts, a senior officer said they fleece customers by offering pre-paid rides and cheap hotels, all in connivance with hotel and taxi staff. “Touts lure customers with cheap/reasonably priced services and eventually dupe them by charging more. They station themselves around the arrival area and look for their target, mostly a foreign national, and persistently go behind the person once he pays them a little attention,” said the officer. Police said touts are often hand in glove with hotel staff and cab service providers and all the players get their commission once the target ends up overpaying for the service. “The accused are booked under the Delhi Prevention of Touting and Malpractices Against Tourists Ordinance, 2010, and are generally externed from the city,” another officer said.
