The State government has notified the Tamil Nadu Private Security Agencies (Private Security to Cash Transportation Activities) Rules, 2021, under which cash could be transported by banks/cash handling agencies only on specially-designed and fabricated cash vans with at least two trained and armed security guards on board. “The private security agencies involved in cash transportation activities must ensure that no cash van carries more than ₹5 crore per trip.
The private security agencies shall ensure that secured cash vans are deployed to carry cash of more than ₹10 lakh per trip,” the rules said. The private security agency was to ensure that all cash handling, including counting, sorting and bundling activities, were to be carried out in secured premises in accordance with guidelines specified. Besides, it must ensure the ATM under its security has been installed with one-time electronic combination locks for reducing the instances of crew pilferage losses and ATM frauds.
The cash for loading into an ATM machine is to be collected from the bank on the previous day or in the first half of the day so that operations can be concluded before the stipulated time.
“No cash loading of the ATMs or cash transportation activities shall be done (a) after 9 p.m. in urban areas, (b) after 6 p.m in rural areas and (c) before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. in the districts notified by the Central government as Left Wing Extremism affected areas.”
The guards should be armed with 12-bore double-barrel breech-loading shotguns, and the weapon must be test fired at least once in two years. Gun cartridges must be replaced once every two years. The weapons must be checked and certified by a government-approved armourer.
Every private security agency shall comply with the following conditions before hiring an individual for cash transportation activities. Before hiring, the individual should be subjected to police clearance certification, residence verification, previous employer check, Aadhaar verification, credit history check and fidelity insurance check.
