Indianmandarins has learnt that CISF had made changes to its standard operating procedure (SOP) a couple of weeks before the reports of smuggling of $80,000 by an airline crew surfaced. The CISF unit which screens the luggage is headed by a Sub-Inspector rank officer of CISF. Citing the shortage of SI rank officers, the Force had earlier taken an exemption for approx. 15 months from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and MHA so that a head constable rank officer could lead the boarding screening at the airports. Right after the exemption period ended a few weeks back, the CISF stressed the need to make the exemption a regular norm in view of the shortage of SI rank officer. This proposal was sanctioned by the ministries and departments concerned despite the objections raised by regulatory agencies for aviation security. However, in the aftermath of the dollar smuggling scandal, the power corridors are abuzz that the regularisation of relaxation in SOP may be revisited.