FSB Puts 'Bomb' on Plane - Moscow Times

[Evening Star]

Moscow Times is reporting how, in a mock terrorist attack, Federal Security Service agents carried fake explosives onto aircraft at Voronezh Airport. The report says that in a series of exercises on 1 October, the day that new security measures come into force, all three FSB agents tasked with breaching security "successfully completed their missions". Reported access routes in breaching security were:

- Agent, posing as a passenger with mock bomb around waist, passed unchallenged through all security and boarded a flight.
- Agent got through the perimeter fence and wondered unchallenged around parked aircraft for an hour.
- Agent bribed a security guard 500 roubles (~GBP10) to give a "suspicious" package to the pilot of one aircraft (who, in turn accepted the package for a 100 rouble bribe). The security guard was later dismissed, although he claims he checked the package before delivering it to the pilot (no comment about bribe culture!).

The article concludes that this casts "serious doubt on the authorities' assertions that airport security has been bolstered in the wake of two recent airplane bombings."

Summary article on Mosnews (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/10/11/terrorairport.shtml) site.

[aged]

I went through Domodedovo (Moscow) last week and there was no control or search of folk entering the terminal. I did have to take my shoes and belt off for domestic departure security though but that was the only change from before recent events. People still stop outside before the plane or bus for a smoke though, no one seems bothered.

The airport in Sakhaklin has announced increased security but it seems that it will just take the form of removing shoes as well. Other than that, it's not particularly strict, more a show than anything else. A collegue (not knowingly) carried a screwdriver in his carryon for 3 return trips and it was never spotted (at either end).

Oh, and it's still women who frisk the men, much more pleasant than the same sex game elsewhere.