Easyjet arrest at Gatwick

[ilesmark]

Man arrested on Easyjet flight after it lands at Gatwick - AOL Travel UK (http://travel.aol.co.uk/2012/02/16/man-arrested-on-easyjet-flight-as-it-lands-at-gatwick/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk%7Cdl9%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D96555)

Sledgehammer to crack a walnut, isn't it, if it now takes 4 armed police to storm an aircraft and arrest someone just for non-payment of a fine?

Woe betide anyone who is late returning a library book..........

[lakerman]

And your point is?
He was arrested by police, they did not storm the aircraft. He is a felon and deserved to be arrested, though I agree they did not need 4 of them. Its easier to pick him up off the aircraft than hunt him down throught the terminal.

[ilesmark]

My point, I would have thought, was quite simple - there must be loads of people flying every day who haven't paid paid a fine for something or other, so I am surprised they went to those lengths just for this person.

[filthyrichandcatflap]

I'd be more concerned that an "edukated journalist" can't spell Wallington ... what do they teach these kids in school these days ....

[TSR2]

The Police were acting in response to a Court Warrant issued for the arrest of this person, not because he did not pay a fine.

[chevvron]

Technically as he he hadn't yet passed though immigration and 'entered the country', I would have thought the police would have no jurisdiction.
I encountered a similar incident once in Malta. I was on an ATCO Familiarisation Flight with BA. I travelled on the flight deck, but stayed on board for turnround chatting to the stewardesses (well you would wouldn't you)
The return passengers were all loaded when the Maltese Police boarded and 'arrested' a passenger and took him off, saying 'he owes someone a lot of money'.
I often wondered if this was 'legal' too.

[blue up]

According to our legal people, the law lies with the nation of registration until the aircraft is no longer moving with regards to a flight. This suggests that once on the ground away from home you are under the law of the nation you are parked on and will remain so until you start to taxy for a departure.
Does this make sense?

[Skipness One Echo]

The problem is that CO19 and the like generally have nothing to do in a normal day. This ought to be a standard 1-2 PC arrest however the uncontained excitement of having to do some real Police work is often too much and so everyone tags along with the end result of alarming overkill as armed men board an aircraft.

[BobnSpike]

If I were the one making the arrest I would want as much backup as wanted to join the festivities. There is no substitute for horsepower.

Of course, had I known I would be held up to ridicule in the PPrune spectators section I would have made the arrest without any backup, using only my left hand, while playing two trumpets.

[Evanelpus]

Sledgehammer to crack a walnut, isn't it, if it now takes 4 armed police to storm an aircraft

Pray where does it say they stormed the aircraft. I'm guessing they were armed officers who happened to be on a routine terminal patrol when the shout came in. You should get yourself over to the Daily Mail with reporting skills like that!

[ilesmark]

I do apologise, and bow to your superior pedantry skills - you are quite right that I and not the AOL news article used the word 'stormed' :=

Still stand by my remark in #3 though.

[Hotel Tango]

Only four?!! Had it been the USA it would have been fourteen at the very least! They are the indisputable champions in overkill by decades. We Brits still have a long way to go before we reach those standards. We don't have enough cops to start with :E

[jubilee]

Had a guy who was sat behind us arrested at Manchester last year,but the police were waiting on the exit from passport control. Still four of them armed.

[Evanelpus]

I do apologise, and bow to your superior pedantry skills - you are quite right

You are most welcome sir, anytime.

[carlrsymington]

How about a small full time multi agency (DSS \ Police \ Inland Revenue & Customs) team checking who is departing for foreign climes and cross referencing who is on income related benefits?
Doesn't have to manually done.... computers are wonderful things.
Bet you would all be shocked by the numbers :E
Cigarette \ tobacco running is also a popular earner for some who have the time and a passport.
I'm not saying "You cannot go on a foreign holiday, just wondering how you can afford it." :rolleyes:

Been to AMS once between jobs & might have thought twice had I thought it might be noticed.Not suggesting we arrest anyone for it mind you.

Hard hat & flak jacket deployed.....

[DavidWoodward]

I'm perplexed as to why we are even discussing this thread.