In Reply to: Wrap it for Dad's sake, not for the fear posted by Fabhaz on Friday, 16. February 2007 at 12:33 Bali Time:
AM - Wednesday, 1 June , 2005 08:12:00
Reporter: Tanya Nolan
TONY EASTLEY: As AM goes to air, thousands of Australians are preparing to get on scores of flights that criss-cross the nation. Luggage has been tagged and loaded, security checks finalised. But a Customs report has thrown doubt on just how secure and safe our airports are.
The Australian Airports Association says it's concerned by the contents of a leaked Customs report which found that some staff at Sydney airport, from baggage handlers to pilots and cleaners have been involved in criminal activity, including diverting bags containing narcotics as well as stealing.
Now the body representing 250 of the nation's airports says it suspects that drug smuggling and theft by staff is happening at many airports and it wants better policing.
Tanya Nolan reports.
TANYA NOLAN: It was the scope of the Customs report that came as the biggest shock to the Australian Airports Association.
The body, representing 250 of the nation's airports, from the smallest to the largest, says it's now clear that criminality within some airports has been entrenched for some time.
And Chairman, John McArdle, doesn't believe such activity is limited to Sydney Airport.
JOHN MCARDLE: Our airlines do come from other airports to Sydney and go to other airports from Sydney, so I can't see why the product would be transferring just through Sydney without coming from somewhere.
TANYA NOLAN: The customs report points out that there is no evidence of domestic drug smuggling.
It alleges that some baggage handlers at Sydney Airport, with links to drug syndicates, have been ensuring bags containing narcotics on overseas flights, avoided detection.
This supports what Federal Police recently uncovered with the help of the New South Wales Crime Commission, which broke open a cocaine smuggling syndicate implicating numerous Sydney baggage handlers.
But the AFP maintains it's as ignorant of the customs investigations as Sydney Airport Corporation, Qantas and the Federal Government.
A spokeswoman for the AFP says Commissioner Mick Keelty only received a copy of the report last night but says there is no imperative for either agency to alert the other about such operations.
Mr McArdle from the Airports Association says he finds it difficult to believe that no one was aware of the customs operations, including the Federal ministers for customs and transport.
JOHN MCARDLE: I would be surprised that there hasn't been some sort of dialogue between at least the members of their department. The extent of the criminality has probably been underestimated, but there's no doubt that the movement of narcotics in this country has been going on for quite some time.
TANYA NOLAN: He hopes that Federal and State police can bolster their efforts around airports and improve their surveillance technology.
But New South Wales Police Minister, Carl Scully, says the Commonwealth has to implement clear regulations first.
CARL SCULLY: New South Wales police popping in now and then to see what baggage handlers are doing is not really the solution. The solution is the Commonwealth Government setting a robust framework under which the airlines and the terminal operators select and monitor their staff.
I think Qantas could do a lot better, but I don't think it should be all sheeted home to them, they're operating within a framework where the Commonwealth sets the rules and regulations.
The Airport Corporation is now a private entity, and I don't think it would be uncomfortable with the position that it complies with rules and regulations set by the Government in charge of it.
TONY EASTLEY: New South Wales Police Minister, Carl Scully.