450 paramilitary soldiers trained to drive VIP cars for G20 summit

New Delhi:

As many as 450 drivers from the CRPF’s VIP security wing have been trained to operate the special left-hand-drive, bullet-protected vehicles that will be used to transport foreign dignitaries attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Delhi this week. next, an official said. sources said.

A fleet of bulletproof and non-bulletproof Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Hyundai Genesis cars were leased or purchased by the Union Government to transport 41 prominent foreign guests.

These specially trained drivers will take the prime ministers and leaders to their destinations in the national capital, such as the main meeting place of “Bharat Mandapam” and the five-star hotels where the dignitaries will stay, they said.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest paramilitary force in the country, with over 3.25 lakh personnel in its ranks deployed for various internal security tasks. Its special VIP security wing, over 6,000 strong, guards 149 high-risk individuals, including Union Home Secretary Amit Shah, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gandhis – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The force deployed a total of 900 personnel, including these 450 drivers, to provide proximity security for VIPs during the two days of the G20 summit on September 9 and 10 and the day before September 8, when the heads of state of various nations will come together. start arriving in the nation’s capital.

This special G20 CRPF pool includes personnel who previously served in the Special Protection Group (SPG) which protects the Prime Minister and the National Security Guard (NSG) counter-terrorism force.

Official sources said that the dignitaries’ wives will be guarded by the specially trained male and female commandos of another paramilitary force – Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

As more than 60 vehicles have been specially grouped together to transport the left-handed VVIPs, the CRPF’s VIP security wing has undertaken special training to rein in the drivers of these cars, as India has a right-hand drive protocol, it said. the sources.

The force obtained left-hand drive cars from Germany to train these personnel for about a month, in addition to teaching them to drive the bulky bullet-resistant luxury cars.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has been tasked with providing the “emergency” convoy for the G20 leaders’ summit, the sources said.

Other central armed police forces, such as the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), besides the NSG “black cat” commandos, have been deployed to secure routes and summit venues in coordination with Delhi Police, they said.

These forces also deployed anti-sabotage teams supported by sniffer dogs for the international mega event, with the CRPF alone providing 48 such teams.

(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)