Security staff hired by agencies have neither valid licence nor training

Rise in ATMs has led to the challenge of finding armed security guards for cash vans

16/03/2020, R. SIVARAMAN,CHENNAI

Security with shot gun escorting the cash box at a private bank in Chennai.. S. R. Raghunathan

A security officer of a nationalised bank had a shocking account to recall recently upon verifying the licences of armed men from private security agencies to whom the job of cash management work is assigned.

“Most of them either did not have any valid licence or were not registered with the local police. I was shocked to learn that one of them was in possession of a weapon procured from his native village in Bihar, where they used it for opening fire in the air during celebrations. Most of these armed men working with cash management agencies or security agencies are from other States, chiefly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Their experience in handling weapons is questionable.” With the growing number of ATMs , cash management service companies are facing a challenge in meeting the demand for armed security guards who have to be present in cash vans.

R. Suresh, a former deputy general manager with a security agency said, “There is dearth of security personnel to match the growing numbers of ATM filling vans and cash management companies. “Nowadays, several untrained persons too have been engaged as armed men to accompany cash management vans. It is doubtful whether they can efficiently handle fire arms in the case of an emergency,” he said.

Most banks outsource ATM filling work to cash management agencies. The armed personnel attached to these agencies are most often ex-servicemen or untrained north Indians.

“Even untrained persons from other States easily receive licenses to hold guns from their States and are roaming without registering them,” said sources in the police and among security officers.

Violation of rules

Arms Rules 2016 stipulates that every applicant should be required to complete an arms and ammunition safety training course, which shall include basic arms and ammunition safety practices, including safe handling and carrying procedures.

A senior police officer said, “If any licensee changes his location for a period of more than six months, he should intimate the Police Commissionerate in his city or the district authorities in the area in which he lives. We will check and initiate action against those who violate the rules and law.”