Aust Baggage Handlers are drug runners - AFP Chief

[Jet_Black_Monaro]

Mick Kelty (Commissioner AFP) has directly accused Australian baggage handlers of being involved in cocaine smuggling.

[Eastwest Loco]

Onehas only to look at historical reports of busts by internal security and the AFP to know that we are talking about the ultimate in commercial aviation hunter gatherer community.

Would not trust them as far as I could kick a 737. Little hope of retribution as the ones that can actually read are generally the good ones. The remainder could not even drive a Commodore 64 - much less a PC, and navigate their way into this forum. Yes - there are many good ones too.

EWL

Total Wankers Union - says it all. Airside Wharfies.

[Jerricho]

Wonder if this will hold anything for Whatshername Corby's case up there in Bali?

[Keg]

I'm absolutely convinced that she's been done over by a stuff up by crooked baggage handlers. The stings going on over the last couple of days show that! Further, it also shows that the cops were protecting their backsides a few weeks back when they were saying that they had no evidence of that type of thing going on with baggage handlers. It looks like they did, they just didn't want to burn whatever people they had under cover!! :eek:

Go get 'em lads. I hope there's a bunch of very frightened baggage handlers out there at the moment. At least they can be assured that unlike Schapelle, they don't face the prospect of a bullet in the heart! :mad:

(I'd note here that I don't think that all or even most baggage handlers are dirty, just some of them- and I hope they get everything they deserve!).

[Pimp Daddy]

More details on news.com.au this morning:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15248266-2,00.html

Interesting comment was this one:
The Australian understands authorities are thrashing out urgent plans to begin screening baggage handlers and X-raying their bags.

Looks like we might get the security issue sorted as a happy by product of the baggage handlers' indescretions.

Although one would have to say any type of security would be an improvement if, as the Corby defence says, a baggie was able to waltz into the bag room with a 4kg bag of dope and stick it in her bag, that's not something easily concealed in your pocket - lots of people turing a blind eye of it's true.

[RENURPP]

Pimp Daddy
I dissagree. It would be extremely easy to get that amount of any substance to an aircraft or bag.

Place it inside a back pack or similar sized bag (ideally pinch a tag to make it look more authentic) carry it over to the trolley place it on and in between having a sleep in the aircraft hold waiting for another trolley to arrive place it in the desired suitcase.

Next they need consider engineers, caterers and all other ground staff.

Not sure of the exact circumstances, one of the engineers for the mob I work for got caught a couple of years back transporting drugs around in the back of the catering trolleys.
If he could do it so could the caterers, infact even easier for them, they could plant it whilst back in the catering buildings and it need not be limited to drugs.

[Blip]

The Australian understands authorities are thrashing out urgent plans to begin screening baggage handlers and X-raying their bags.

Yeah and walk them past the sniffer dogs too!!:suspect:

[aintsaying]

Whats an engineer/LAME/AME pushing a food trolley around for? Was he being paid so little he had to carry his tools around in a stolen food cart?

[Rabbit 1]

Self has made a few comments on this matter in previous threads. One thing that I would like to know is who snaps the locks? Assuming it's the Feds then I would at least expect a notice indicating this. I'm yet to see this in AU.

[Ozgrade3]

Intersting to read that some papers are stating and even some authorities have stated that they will be increasing security in the bagage areas, cameras, screening baggage handlers etc. All for consumption of the media and the public, however nothing will ever get done. It wll prove to be too expensive and not easily seen by the public, thats why pilots get screens and the baggies dont.

There are just too many holes in the wall to plug, so you would have to have an extra 50 to 75 screening points around the international terminal alone...............at say easily half a million $ per screening point .....pluss staffing costs.

Much media copy will be made about upgraded security but nothing will actualy be done. Thats just the way it is.

The alleged drug running / theft ring is confined to Qantas....and then only a small group with in Qantas baggage . I can vouch that this type of activity does not happen within the other 3 major ground handling companies in my 5 years in baggage. And it would not be tolerated by the supervisors.

[king oath]

And these Tossers(no pun intended) walk onto the tarmac each day without a security check, while pilots go through the metal detectors and bomb sniffers with the punters, as a piece of street theatre.

We need to see tarmac workers screened before entry to the tarmac. If you can pay for drug importation you can pay to have weapons placed on board an aircraft by the same turkeys.

[RENURPP]

I didn't say he was pushing the trolley around, I said he hid the drugs in one.

[Bill Smith]

It is quite amazing that Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty claims he was totally unaware that baggage handlers and catering get airside without security screening. ( Ref: Interview with Laurie Oakes )
Now it is getting to the ridiculous point that they are talking about “covert cameras” being installed throughout baggage areas. (Ref: Ninemsn “Mr Dixon said covert cameras should be installed in baggage handling areas at all airports and in aircraft holds.”)
What is wrong with fixing the problem at the source, screen everyone properly before they get anywhere near baggage or aircraft!
I have become quite disillusioned by the total incompetence of the people supposedly running security etc.
As far as I am concerned Keelty should go.
He has made comments that will no doubt harm Schapelle Corby’s case. Mr Keelty said that “police intelligence did not support Schapelle’s case”, when in fact they were in the middle of “Operation Mocha”, investigating the very thing that Schapelle claimed she was a victim of !
How about some of you Journo PPruner’s run with this one.

( No offence to the Baggage guy’s & gal’s doing it right )

[Wonderworld]

Screening everyone thoroughly before they get near the tarmac and aircraft does not necessarily fix the problem. Someone who came through the screening process clean can still be turned by the offer of enough money. They have to screen each individual as they enter airside and also inspect any bag they have with them. If they have nothing in them to hide then they wont mind, right?

[Capt Claret]

Pigs @rse Wonderworld.

I have nothing to hide but the hurdles I now have to jump over, crawl through and otherwise negotiate just to get to the aeroplane give me the sh!ts, and I don't believe I'm alone.

The utter stupidity is that pilots don't need to smuggle a weapon on board, in high capacity RPT at least, they're locked in the flight deck and have total control.

If one of the pilots is not of a like mind, all the other has to do is wait for a dunny break and lock the door! :mad: :mad: :mad:

For me the saddest thing is that for the first time in 20 years I don't enjoy coming to work. :{

[Wonderworld]

Capt Claret, apologies. When I say screen everyone I was talking about baggage handlers. I realise that tech/cabin crew are made to un-necessarily jump hurdles just to get to their "office"

[numbskull]

Its interesting to note that while thirteen people have been arrested, none of them are bag chuckers.

While it is certainly possible to plant drugs in someones bag and have it picked up by a bag chucker at the other end, I doubt it is happening.

1- Too many people swarming around an A/C turnaround, the risk of being seen is high.

2- even if you could plan which bag chucker is going to unload the a/c, you couldn't guarantee it. Delays,breakdowns etc cause the plans to be changed constantly. No plan on the ramp stays the same for long!!. Too risky for a highly valuable load!!

3- Lots of cameras everywhere. There are much easier ways of transporting stuff like in a container on a ship. About 2% of them are ever searched.

You probably would be able to manage it for a 1 off but if you were doing it regularly you would be caught.

[HGW]

Where does every bag go when it's not collected at the carousel. Nice little network all over the world.

[Ron & Edna Johns]

Bill Smith,

Yes, I have to agree with you. I too am very disappointed with what I've heard from Keelty in recent weeks. I thought a great deal of him last year re his comments on terrorism risk - he was speaking what everyone knew but were too politically scared to say. But the latest stuff is either a political smoke-screen or ignorance. Saying publically (the Oakes interview) that everyone going airside is screened is either a political fib or ignorance. Frankly, the latter is more serious, in my view. If he is really ignorant about what is REALITY, namely, the lack of screening, then he is also ignorant about the serious security holes (read: terrorism risk) that continue to exist.

Meanwhile the safest, lowest-risk people... yes, the pilots (!)... continue to jump through the hoops for appearance sakes........

No wonder we are treating security with disdain. If it is to be taken seriously and respected, it all needs to be credible. And it ain't.

[Bill Smith]

How's this one for ludicrous.

At some ports there is no security required if the aircraft seats less than 40 bum's, more than 40 whoa !!! lets pull out the metal detectors etc and screen everyone.

If we are crewing a flight less than 40 seats we don't get screened more than 40 then we get screened.

It's just a matter of getting on the phone and calling the bloke who does the screening, that's if he is not at the airport already, then plugging in the power point.

As to my previous post:

For the conspiracy theorists amongst us.
The drug smugglers were tipped of by the AFP according to the phone conversation that was intercepted on the news. How much does MK really know. :mad:

Royal Commission into the AFP