New passenger information regulations announced earlier this week are meant to improve the ability of Customs authorities to stop smuggling of contraband such as narcotics and materials that could pose a threat to national security, the government said in a statement on Wednesday, after the new rules triggered concerns of privacy intrusions.
Late on Monday, the government notified the Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022, making it mandatory for air service operators to share details of international travellers with a Customs agency, including that of when a traveller was due to fly, their destination, how many bags they are carrying, their seat numbers as well as co-passenger data.
“Although some data elements included in the regulations are available from other sources, the objective of these regulations is to obtain this data in advance of departure or arrival of the passengers for analytics by the Customs Risk Management System,” the statement said.
