There will be twice as many baggage reclaim carousels as at Kai Tak plus two conveyors for outsize luggage, and the number of customs examination benches will be increased from 52 to 76.

A second company will be working at the three cargo terminals and customs clearance will be arranged around the clock. There will be 11 customs halls, up from six at Kai Tak, and there will be a separate building handling all incoming and outgoing mail. Before, only outgoing parcels were handled.

Offices have also been set up at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations on the Airport Express line where passengers may check-in their luggage before flying.

Added to these responsibilities, customs staff will be needed at the new Business Aviation Centre when it opens and they will also guard the perimeter gates with members of the new security company - a job done at Kai Tak by police.

The number of customs staff at Chek Lap Kok has almost doubled with the addition of 500 new posts to the 545 allocated to Kai Tak.

As well as taking on new workers, the advent of new technology has meant extra training was needed, even for experienced officers.

Top-of-the-line surveillance and communication systems will be introduced, including trunked radio walkie-talkies and closed-circuit television covering the whole airport.

The department has also invested in more specialised equipment specifically aimed at combatting drug trafficking or even terrorist attacks.

Four iron scan sniffer machines have been bought for $700,000 each to provide a service even the most highly-trained sniffer dog cannot beat.

The machines work by absorbing tiny particles from the surface of luggage or cargo and can analyse and confirm whether it contains any dangerous drugs or explosive materials within five seconds.

With more drug couriers stashing their consignment inside their bodies, customs officers now can also use an advanced urine toxicology analyser as well as a special toilet system which will help them not only detect the concealment of drugs more effectively and efficiently but also gain evidence for any possible prosecution.

More X-ray machines and hand- held as well as walk-through metal detectors should help officers carry out their work quickly.

The new freight-handling facilities will be hi-tech. In the cargo terminal, a new $175-million computer system has been installed to provide electronic links between Customs Airport Command and six air cargo operators to ease the transfer of data and clearance instructions.

It will enable officers to more easily track the movements of consignments and will have a link to the central control system to provide and help the analysis of intelligence information as well as matching cargo data with intelligence warnings and lists of banned or restricted articles.

Staff training at the new airport not only covered the use of all this equipment but also looked at ways to improve the quality of service given to customers.

The operational plan is still to employ 'risk management' procedures to process incoming passengers and cargo at Chek Lap Kok. And, since the size of the baggage reclaim hall is so large, two huge glass partitions have been built to separate passengers arriving from countries of different risks.

Customs chiefs believe this procedure will minimise congestion at checkpoints and reduce queues while increasing operational efficiency. To keep everyone razor sharp, the department has introduced an awards scheme to recognise outstanding service.

FACT FILE Twice as many baggage carousels at new airport; inspection lanes increase from 52 to 76; new inspection systems to analyse surface particles for traces of illicit goods.