Another major robbery at Heathrow Airport

[What_does_this_button_do?]

from ananova.com. .. . </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> . .JUST IN: Another major robbery at Heathrow Airport . .. .Millions of pounds have been taken in an apparent armed robbery at Heathrow Airport.. .. .It's believed two men stopped the van after it had collected cash from a South African Airways plane.. .. .Around $3 million is thought to have been taken.. .. .The driver is said to have been held up at knife point before being made to drive the van out of the airport.. .. .It's then believed the two men transferred the cash to another vehicle. The van driver is uninjured.. .. .It is the second robbery at Heathrow in just over a month. On February 11, a gang of men held-up a security van at Terminal 4 and escaped with £4.6 million.. .. .Authorities were still reeling from the incident at Heathrow last month in which raiders managed to slip into - and out of - a "secure" zone supposedly even better protected in the wake of September 11.. .. .Story filed: 10:57 Tuesday 19th March 2002</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">

[Self Loading Freight]

Heathrow -- the world's favourite cashpoint.. .. .Was this another airside heist? If so, what does this say about all that increased security? Is there any point in me stowing my keyring penknife in checked baggage if the scrotes can just wander up and do what they like outside the a/c?. .. .Glad that nobody got hurt, but if heads don't metaphorically roll this time I reckon some sort of protest is in order.. .. .R

[phd]

Anyone who has ever spent much time airside at LHR knows it is organised chaos without the organised bit. Airside passes are held by hundreds of construction contractors as well as by thousands of regular handling/engineering staff. Getting in is easy - what should be a surprise but isn't, is how simple it is to get out with a van full of cash. I know from experience that although all persons have to be individually security screened on the way in and have their passes swiped, on the way out vehciles are usually just waved through by the security guard. I wonder how many more millions will be mis-appropriated before the DTLR forces all airport authorities to establish security controls around the perimeter of airports that actually work.

[IMMELMAN]

At LHR, as well as at most airports, security in the cargo area is extremely weak. .There are now many Temp and Agency workers since Customs had to relax their former control over who got passes. .The Aviation Maritime Security Act is extraodinarily flawed in a number of aspects. .The whole security ethos is a fudge with division of responsibilities between a number of parties and, as ever, funding is the main issue. .The police are still not permitted by law to disclose a job applicant's previous record, I believe - it will only be disclosed if the applicant applies to the police to do so - yeah! like he/she is going to do that. .Transit shed operators do now have internal security - they have spent money and hire security firms - but how hit and miss. .Anybody within a five mile radius of LHR, and others, knows how to just wander off Airside in the cargo area. .The cargo operators themselves have tried and tried to get this sorted but the buck is always passed and it goes on 'on a wing and a prayer'. .Now that large amounts of cash are involved, there may be a temporary 'purge' - it won't last. .Massive thefts have gone on in cargo terminals since way back - no significant improvements have been brought about. .The majority of airports have 'upped' security at the front door - but the 'crims' know they can flit in and out of the back door with ease. .If they know it, so do the terrorists. .Nothing changes. Politicians have to have the word cargo spelled to them, still - so do the majority of 'responsible' authorities from top to bottom of aviation. .Nobody should be surprised at recent events - ask the most humble worker in the cargo area of any airport and he will know how to come and go airside, as he pleases. .Sad - but, alas, very true <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="redface.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> . .SET A THIEF TO CATCH A THIEF

[SkyGuy]

You aint seen me........ right! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />

[JPJ]

About a year ago I visited LHR with some other magistrates. We went airside in a marked Police vehicle accompanied by two uniformed officers, and wearing passes and Hi-Vis jackets with POLICE on the back. We were taken out of the van, patted down, and electronically tested. Ladies' handbags were searched before being allowed through. . .. .Perhaps I should have turned up in a white Transit, and saved a lot of bother!

[Flying Bean]

This is an interesting connection. If you think security is bad a Heathrow, then Joburg International is just as bad if not worse. We have also had two major heists airside. There was obviously a major tie up with an "insider" at Joburg. At least at Joburg there is a chance of robbers getting shot (not much of a chance)so perhaps that is why they decied to hit the cargo at Heathrow rather than Joburg. It depressing that these big league criminals on boths sides of the ocean are so much better organised than the authorities while my Leatherman now has to sit in the hold with my checked baggage. Another major hassle. Never used to have to lug around checked baggage!!

[Nocti]

Brilliant.. .. .Typical LHR setup - treat aircrew going to work as the biggest threat to aviation - to the point of opening up their tubes of toothpaste and jars of make up. This has happened right before me at Security Point 2.. .. .Never mind the real security threats. Take out granny with a nail file or clippers. Forget about the Kray gang around the corner.. .. .I've never seen security as misdirected as at LHR.. .. .Incredibly, at other European airports where crew are treated with a certain degree of respect this sort of thing does not happen. . .. .How wrong can you get it?. . . . <small>[ 21 March 2002, 01:36: Message edited by: Nocti ]</small>

[EasternEuropean]

Redundant BA personnel..!!??. .( lol just kiddin'...allright?). .Cheers

[Unwell_Raptor]

It is reported that the "security" van driver was a 21 year old student!. .. .Words fail me.