Click to play videoNew Delhi: Could the Samjhauta Express attack be repeated? Could terror groups exploit other loopholes in the Railways security apparatus? Just days after the terror attack on Samjhauta Express, CNN-IBN and DIG have exposed how railway cargo agents are willing to ferry dubious cargo on trains.
DIG investigator Ravi Gautam and CNN-IBN's Mridu Bhandari posed as dealers and met a railway cargo agent Ashok, who won his contract with the railways after a cut-throat bidding process and was prepared to ferry just about any cargo to recover his money.
The CNN-IBN-DIG team went to him wanting to deliver stolen antiques to buyers in Mumbai.
Ashok: Sab nikalo mat, andar rakho. (Don’t take out everything. Keep it inside)
DIG: Yeh 15th century ka Ganesh ka idol hai yeh. (This is a 15th century Ganesh idol)
Ashok: Isko dikhane ki zaroorat nahin hai. (Careful, don’t take it out)
DIG: Isko jara buffer kar do. (Get it buffered for us)
Ashok: Cost foreign mein? (Will you pay in foreign exchange?)
DIG: Jisko hum de rahen hain, usse hum Rs 80,000 claim kar rahe hain. (We are claiming Rs 80,000 from the person we are giving this to.)
Ashok: Ab office dekh liya apne. Yeh ladka hai, ise kuch pata nahin hai. (You’ve seen this office. This guy here knows nothing)
DIG: Aapne bhi ek baar dekhna tha ki hum kya karte hain. (You should have asked us or verified once as to what we do.)
Ashok: Aapas mein bhi clarity honi chahiye. Aage milne ki bhi zaroorat nahin hai. Kahan chodna hai, hum bataenge. (No need. There must be clarity between the two parties. We don’t need to meet again. I will tell you where to drop this off.)
Ashok's firm handles over 500 tonnes of cargo daily across the Indian Railways. Ferrying stolen goods is no big deal for him.
When asked if he could send narcotics like charas and opium husk across to Goa, he was only too willing.
DIG: Goa mein ek bahut badi cheez ki demand hai. Vahan parties bahut hoti hain. Vahan pe hashish ka tel nikalta hai. Uski demand bahut hoti hai. Voh sharer mein malte hain. (There is huge demand for drugs in Goa as it’s a party hub. The demand surges)
Ashok: Jisse garmi paida hoti hai. ( It’s hot)
DIG: Nasha hota hai na. Charas ka by product hai yeh. (It’s intoxicating. It’s a cannabis product)
Ashok: Paise aap ne bhi kamane hai, maine bhi kamane hain. Main kara dunga. Sab kara dunga. Bombay ke liye koi dikkat nahin hai. Goa ke liye bhi koi dikkat nahin hain. Bangalore ke liye koi dikkat nahin hai. (You have to earn and I need to make money too. I will get everything done. There is no problem with Bombay. Goa and Bangalore can be fixed too.)
DIG: Yeh liquid hai. (This is liquid)
Ashok: Pack main kar dunga. Mere paas professional packers hai, jo Bill Clinton ka maal pack karte hain. (I will get it packed. I have professional packers who even get Bill Clinton’s stuff packed!)
DIG: Usme dhai sau teen sau kilo, chura post ka samaan hai. Afeem ka flower jo hota hai. Upar ka jo hissa hai, voh milaya jata hai. Bhoosa lagta hai. Uski bori hi jati hai. Tasteless hota hai, smell bhi nahin hota. Expert hi pakad sakta hai. Ayodhya jayega sir. (This has 200-300 kg of stuff. This is tasteless, fodourless. Only experts can detect it.)
Ashok: UP mein problem ho jayegi sir. (But UP will be a problem)
DIG: Train mein dal do. (Ferry it by train then)
Ashok: Yahan se to hum bhej denge. (From here, we can send)
DIG: Kahan kahan ja sakta hai. (Where all can it go from?)
Ashok: Himachal jayega? (Yo uokay with Himachal?)
DIG: Agriculture karke jayega? Jisne tender le rakha hai (tender for stocking goods-rakes) aap unke touch mein to honge hi? (If you say it’s agricultural produce, then will it go smooth? You can get in touch with the one who has the tender for stocking goods.)
Ashok: Haan. Karve lenge. Baat kar lenge. Paper usme kya kya honge? (We will do that. Will there be paperwork involved?)
DIG: Agriculture.
Ashok: Ek invoice to bana lenge na. (Will you get an invoice made?)
DIG: Ek invoice to bana lenge. (That we will)
Ashok: Invoice aap kar lenge, baaki main pata kar lunga. Ho jayega. (You get the invoice done. I will handle the rest.)
DIG: Yaar koi DG level ka banda pakad lo. (Catch hold of some DG-level officer, dude)
Ashok: Ho jayega. (Will be done)
DIG: To aap yeh soch lena. (Then think about it.)
Ashok: Kab karna hai. (When do you want to get it done?)
DIG: Ise aap jab kahenge tab. (Whenever you say)
Ashok: Ready hai? (Is the stuff ready?)
Ashok has clearly dealt in contraband cargo before. He describes how the risks can be minimised.
Vahan agar koi problem aati hai, yeh agent bhi deny kar dega. Ki hum nahin jaante, client ne aake diya, kaha ki samaan le ja. Usmein kya hota hai, chance hota hai. Aadmi theek hai ghere mein aayega, lekin nikal jayega. Savdhani le ke chalte hain. (If there is a problem, the agent there will deny everything and you won’t be in trouble. It’s just about taking a chance. And then, we are careful too.)
He also explains how the deal can be done through phones. “Take three mobile phones, three cash cards. Agencies are smarter, everything is computerised - after some time destroy the set - keep one number to call me. The agent there knows me, you don't need to know him. How he knows me is my deal. The agent in Bombay also doesn't know him. You don't even need to go to Mumbai. Later we have a good lad there who will deliver it. he will not know what is going. Rest you tackle. We will take care of everything. We don’t know anyone, met today, strangers tomorrow.
DIG investigators wrapped up the deal by actually sending cargo from Delhi to Mumbai on the prestigious Rajdhani Express.
No documents were required. Ashok worked through an agent called Gangaram, who runs rail cargo at the New Delhi Station.
A simple bribe was all it took.
A day later, the cargo was picked up at the Mumbai Central Station.
The railways have full faith in agents like Ashok, who on camera promised to carry stolen goods, even narcotics as railway cargo.
Explosives with pre-set timer devices could well be placed in trains like the Rajdhani using agents like Ashok.
The question is when does the Railway Minister plan to plug such gaping security loopholes?
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