Procedure for clearance of Mis-handled Baggage (MHB) in the Mis-handled Baggage Warehouse (MHB-WH) –Reg. - Customs - 116/2003- AIR

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS CHENNAI AIRPORT, INTEGRATED AIR CARGO COMPLEX MEENAMBAKKAM, CHENNAI-600027 F.No.S13/158/2001-AIR Dated: 21.07.2003 Public Notice No. 116/2003- AIR Sub: Procedure for clearance of Mis-handled Baggage (MHB) in the Mis-handled Baggage Warehouse (MHB-WH) Reg. Attention is invited to Public Notice No.116/2003-AIR. In order to streamline the procedure for clearance of Mis-handled Baggage (MHB) in the Mis-handled Baggage Warehouse (MHB-WH), the following instructions are issued with immediate effect in supersession of all earlier instructions, contained in Public Notice 85/2002 dated 19/04/02. STORAGE OF MHB 1. There shall be two MHB Warehouses-One for Storing mis-handled baggage upto 48 hours and another for storing the same upto a period of 30 days after the expiry of 48 hours. They will be known as MHB-WH-I and MHB-WH-II respectively. The AOC shall earmark space within the Arrival Hall of the Anna International Airport. They will also provide necessary infrastructure for the Ware houses and shall also make arrangements to man both the Ware Houses round the clock. 2. Mishandled/unclaimed/left baggage maybe received into the MHB-WH-I by the MHB officers during normal office hours and by the D.O.s beyond the office Hours and on holidays. The details of mishandled/Unclaimed/Left baggage shall be recorded in the registers either maintained for MHB-WH-I or MHB-WH-II as the case may be. The AOC will make available printed, Serially numbered, AOC cards having separate particulars of location, date of arrival, etc., which shall be tagged on all the baggage s in the warehouse and the counter foil be handed over to the Airlines of the handling carrier. The AOC cards of the MHB Warehouses should be duly super-scribed as MHB-WH-I or MHB-WH-II and details there of have to be invariably furnished depending upon the storage area to distinguish them easily. The AOC staff shall enter the details of the baggage as reflected on the AOC card along with the AOC CARD NUMBER in the relevant MHB-WH Register and none of the lines of the AOC card should be left blank. (ie., the AOC cards should be completely filled without any blank line). The receipt, storage and stacking of goods and maintenance of Registers/AOC Card pertaining to the mis-handled baggage shall be handled by AOC. CUSTODY 3. Both the above mentioned Warehouses shall be under the dual custody of the Customs and the Airlines Operator s Committee. There shall be two locks- One belonging to the Customs and the other to the AOC. The respective keys will be with the respective agency. 4. All the mishandled/unclaimed/left bags should be deposited in the MHB Warehouse-I immediately after all the passengers are cleared out of the arrival hall. Left luggage will also be treated as MHB. Any MHB if found to be torn/not properly packed by the concerned Airlines before deposing in MHB-WH with their seal. 5. All the mishandled/left baggage is required to be re-scanned before being lodged in the MHB-WH-I. In case, any MHB, on rescanning, is suspected to contain contraband or goods in trade quantities, the MHB officer or the D.O. shall arrange for its detailed examination and inventorisation in the presence of independent witnesses and a representative of the AOC before sealing and lodging in the Airport Warhouse. The MHB after rescanning may be kept in MHB-WH-I for 48 hours from the time of its arrival. In the event of this period expiring on Sundays or other holidays the baggage s may be retained in MHB-WH-I till the next working day. PROCEDURE FOR CLEARENCES 6. If any passenger claims the MHB before they are lodged in the MHB WH-I, then the same may be cleared across the Customs Counter, like any other passenger baggage after re-screening. If any contraband/trade goods are founds upon re-screening, the procedure laid down in Para 5 is to be followed. 7. The clearance of MHB will be normally done only during the Office Hours by the MHB officers. However, in exceptional circumstances, if any MHB lying in the MHB Warehouses had to be cleared beyond the office hours, this may be done by the Detention Officer (D.O.) with the written permission of the DC/AC on duty after collection of duty and other charges as applicable for clearance the Mishandled/unclaimed/left bags in both the MHB- Warehouses. In order to facilitate this, the MHB Officers will handover the key to the D.O. on duty everyday at the time of relinquishing the charge. Similarly the D.O s would handover these keys to the MHB officers, when they report to duty. The AOC personnel will arrange delivery of baggage through Customs of production of the counterfoil of the AOC Tag and the PIR and make necessary entries in the Registers in this regard simultaneously. Delivaries should be effected only after obtaining the signature of the passenger or his authorized person and Airlines representative in the corresponding Register. 8. Subsequently on all working days during office hours, the Mis-handled bags which are not cleared after 48 hours are required to be shifted to the MHB-WH-II from MHB-WH-I . The AOC personnel shall make arrangements for such shifting during normal office hours under the supervision of the Customs Officers posted in the MHB. The AOC personnel will simultaneously close the corresponding entries pertaining to MHB-I with the remarks Shifted to MHB-WH-II and make fresh entries with the reference to the new location in the columns pertaining to MHB-WH-II . 9. The Agency/Agencies authorized by Customs to clear MHB on behalf of the passenger can clear MHB after completing all the procedural formalities including the recording of the entries in the Registers of MHB. TRANSHIPMENT 10. After deposit of the mishandled/unclaimed/left bags in the MHB, WH-I if any of the baggage s in the AOC Warehouses is due for transshipment (either due to mis-handling by Airlines or at the request of the passenger), whether in MHB WH-I or MHB WH-II, the same will be carried out by the concerned Airline Staff after getting necessary Customs Clearance by raising the Detention Receipt (D/R). And by making cross entries in the relevant register. UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE 11. Mishandled baggage not cleared within 30 days of their depositing in the MHB Warehouse-II will be treated as excess landed and unmanifested cargo. Such packages would be disposed of by Customs without any further reference to Airlines/Handling Agents/AOC. The concerned Airlines/AOC will surrender A.O.C cards of all such packages, which are lying in the MHB WH-II over 30 days to MHB officers. All such packages will be inventoried with the assistance of Batch Officers on duty and transferred to the Airport Warehouse under a Forwarding Memo for disposal. The Superintendent MHB shall ensure that there are no MHBs lying uncleared in the MHB-II after the expiry of 30 days. (Sd./-) COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS(AIR)