This is how good security is at our smaller airports.
Kids with guns highlight security gaps
Posted Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:26am AEDT
Updated Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:28am AEDTQuestions are being raised about the effectiveness of airport security in Western Australia after a cache of guns, knives and ammunition was found on a flight from Karratha to Cairns.
The bags allegedly belonged to two young boys aged 11 and 14 who had travelled unaccompanied across the country on a flight operated by Qantas at the weekend.
A spokesman for Qantas confirmed the boys flew with the airline from Karratha in Western Australia to Cairns in far north Queensland, via Perth.
But the weapons were not detected by airport security until the boys tried to board a flight to Weipa at Cairns Airport on Sunday morning.
Police believe the guns may have got onto the plane at Karratha’s regional airport, where security has previously been less vigorous than in major city airports.
Last year the Federal Government granted the airport funds to install baggage checking systems including X-ray equipment.
[b]But security checks failed to pick up two guns, more than a dozen knives and 30,000 rounds of ammunition which were packed into the bags checked in by the two boys at Karratha.
Qantas, which screens baggage at its terminals, says its security checks comply with all Government requirements, but the X-rays are designed to detect explosives and not weapons. [/b]
It is not known why the boys had the weapons, but police believe they were stolen from a Karratha sports store.
Queensland police have charged the 14-year-old with unlawful possession of a weapon, possessing ammunition and bringing stolen goods into Queensland.
Police in Cairns say the boy refused to be interviewed and he will appear in the Children’s Court in Weipa next week.
Qantas is playing down the security breach, arguing there was no threat to flight safety or flight security because the bag was in cargo hold and could not be accessed by anyone during the flight.
But the incident comes just as the recently retired head of security for Qantas, Geoff Askew, voiced his concerns that the financial crisis would lead to lapses in airport security procedures around the world.
Mr Askew is attending an Asia Pacific Aviation Conference where concerns have been raised about airport security standards around the world, particularly in poorer countries.
“Some participants in the industry will look to cut costs and look to security to see it they can cut costs under these difficult circumstances,” he said.
The conference also heard the number of security audits around the world has already been reduced.
Yesterday the Federal Transport Department would not confirm whether it will investigate the incident.
My bold http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/12/2514089.htm
I’m not that impressed by explosive detecting equipment which can’t pick up 30,000 rounds of ammo. Take the explosive out of those rounds, or as many rounds as you like, put it in a brass or lead box which apparently is all you need to do to stop the detectors picking it up, attach a timer or altitude trigger, and that should cause a bit of a problem in the cargo hold and for the plane in flight. Or have I missed something? :rolleyes:
This country is run by idiots. :evil:
