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ASIO to take on laser attack epidemic
By Stephen Lunn
April 02, 2008 01:34am
ASIO, federal police and other key government agencies will hold urgent talks today to thrash out a strategy to tackle the growing epidemic of laser attacks on passenger jets at major Australian airports.
The top-level Canberra meeting will be urged to ban the sale of the high-powered lasers and push for even tougher penalties on people caught using the lights to disrupt flights.
The meeting, which will include officials from the Australian Customs Service, ASIO, the AFP, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Air Services Australia and the federal Attorney-General and Transport Department, comes as the number of attacks increases, despite harsher penalties introduced last year.
Penalties were increased to two years' jail and fines of up to $30,000. But authorities have to date struggled to track down the culprits and are exploring new tracking technology to pinpoint the source of laser attacks.
Today's meeting has been called after six aircraft flying into Sydney airport last Friday night reported being targeted by lasers over a 15-minute period, a situation Air Services Australia spokesman Bryan Nicholson described as "the worst attack in our experience".
Transport Department figures show 325 incidents were reported last year, with at least the same level of activity continuing this year. Some laser lights are capable of reaching as far as 5km.
Federal Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus asked Australian Customs Service chief executive Michael Carmody to convene the meeting, bringing the key departments together in order to provide a report to him by Friday.
"I have asked Customs to hold a high-level meeting on the serious matter of laser lights being shone at aircraft," Mr Debus told The Australian.
"We've had the possibility of banning the importation of laser lights under review for some time, but last week's incident means the matter has now become urgent.
"This type of behaviour is stupid, dangerous and illegal, and could seriously endanger the lives of aircraft passengers.
"Just last year, fines of $30,000 and two-year jail terms were introduced for people who interfere with aircraft in this way. But if tougher penalties are needed, the Government is more than happy to consider them."
One of the problems with banning the importation of lasers is that many come in through the postal system after being ordered over the internet, and are difficult to detect in X-ray machines.
Mr Nicholson said last Friday's incident at Sydney airport was particularly dangerous because it appeared to be co-ordinated.
The problem has left pilots concerned for both their own and their passengers' safety.
Because of the difficulty in locating the source of the attacks, police have struggled to make arrests. In January, police in Sydney arrested a man with a 125milliwatt laser in his possession after two planes in the Merrylands area were targeted.
It is understood the AFP are developing new mapping techniques to pinpoint the sources of recent laser attacks.
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