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Brazilian flights to Europe are greeted by police at gate... why?

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Old 17th Jun 2018, 12:27
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Brazilian flights to Europe are greeted by police at gate... why?

Reading the question about Mexican crew humiliation made me think about this issue:

Flights from Brazil to Europe (Heathrow and Frankfurt, not Lisbon) are met by at least 5 heavily armed police, right there at the gate. They are looking over each
and every arriving passenger and are asking most of them for passports. Right there at the arrival gate, long before immigration.

To me the passengers on these flights all look perfectly normal, exactly the same as on any other flight in the world. Average and tired.

No armed police greet the passengers upon arrival from Brazil to the USA, a country which normally is more security conscious/ paranoid.

Does anyone know what they are looking for at Heathrow and Frankfurt?
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 12:48
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Never seen it myself- When did that start?
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 13:07
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Originally Posted by wiggy
Never seen it myself- When did that start?
October 2017 at Heathrow, May 2018 at Frankfurt
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 13:17
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I have had several of my flights from the US met the same way. It is sometimes random or sometimes they are looking for a specific person.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 13:47
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Visa controls me thinks.
Happens to other flights as well like from Havana in Frankfurt.
Not specific to any country.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 14:40
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Possible drugs handed over airside in Brazil and to be handed over before Customs in the UK?
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 14:59
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It's a regular occurrence in AMS for flights from NBO.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 15:19
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I have certainly seen flights from various destinations met in such a manner at Heathrow, and the assumption has always been it has been an “intelligence led” decision. I’ve done a couple of Brazilian originating flights fairly recently into LHR and not been aware of armed police on the jetty - hence the comment/question.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 16:12
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It's really nothing unusual. I have come off flights in the UK, Germany, Netherlands and the USA to be met by immigration officials and sometimes sniffer dogs. The last time I was approached by an immigration official in the UK, it was at Birmingham having come off a flight from Dublin!!! They have a job to do. It doesn't bother me. They will have good reason, probably based on intelligence received.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 21:17
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Originally Posted by Hotel Tango
It's really nothing unusual. I have come off flights in the UK, Germany, Netherlands and the USA to be met by immigration officials and sometimes sniffer dogs. The last time I was approached by an immigration official in the UK, it was at Birmingham having come off a flight from Dublin!!! They have a job to do. It doesn't bother me. They will have good reason, probably based on intelligence received.
Flights arriving from S.A. are drug traffic routes - due to disgracefully corrupted regime. Extra vigilance on the receiving part, is just to be considered routine - nothing racial about it. Heavily armed is obviously due to the "value" of the "items" and the fact that you're dealing with scruples cartels - the officers at duty should be well prepared for that! Good on them for doing this - I appreciate it. And just think about it before you get offended - not much drug going in the opposite direction. Immigration policies are reciprocal. Sleep safely. Cheers.
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Old 17th Jun 2018, 22:10
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Originally Posted by double_barrel
It's a regular occurrence in AMS for flights from NBO.
I travel Dubai-Amsterdam fairly often, and it used to be a fairly frequent thing having police officers at the jetway checking each passenger. I don't think I've seen it since AMS adopted arrival scecurity screening for transit passengers a few years ago.
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 08:52
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I remember being met by dogs when arriving in Frankfurt from Caracas about ten years ago. I I just assumed it was drug-related.

I also saw the funniest/most disgusting thing in Venezuela customs. One fine customs official started patting down this african male before boarding the aircraft, and proceeded to sniff, thoroughly, in his shoes....
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 09:15
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This is SOP in Frankfurt since many years. They are randomly profiling and pre-filtering passengers and this is NOT limited to flights from South America. Also happens on flights coming from Schengen countries (normally no passport control required) e.g. Greece. If there are doubts about the legal status of a traveller, they get taken in to the police station at the airport for further processing. So what?
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 09:23
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Happened to me more than once on arrival at Paris CDG, from different points of origin.
I was pleasantly reassured by it, to be honest.
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 09:45
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I know this theory might not be very PC....

I might be linked with the looks and dress of the ladys on board why some get more attention than others.

What we doing now?
Don't know the Rio flight is due in 10 mins....
I will have a bit of that.....
Or the Glasgow fight is also due.....
Sod that it will put me off my lunch....
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Old 18th Jun 2018, 20:30
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Brazil flights from MIA are checked by US immigration. At least the flights I have seen operated by AA.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 00:48
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Originally Posted by tescoapp
I know this theory might not be very PC....

I might be linked with the looks and dress of the ladys on board why some get more attention than others.

What we doing now?
Don't know the Rio flight is due in 10 mins....
I will have a bit of that.....
Or the Glasgow fight is also due.....
Sod that it will put me off my lunch....
I am happy to hear from many of you that the Brazil flights don't seem to be singled
out, but that this kind of Welcome is out there for many others also.

Of course, then there is the really only correct answer to my question, from tescoapp, thank you!
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 01:31
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It is not unusual for arrivals in Toronto to be met by Canada Border Service officers for a passport check. If they are able to catch undocumented offenders who have have 'lost' their passport enroute before they reach 'Canadian soil' at the top of the jetway, I believe they can send offenders back on the return flight .

Otherwise, it involves many months of expensive incarceration, lawyers, court costs and a heavy drain on Canada's welcome.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 01:34
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You should see what Hong Kong does to kenya airways flights inbound.
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Old 19th Jun 2018, 08:34
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It's hard drugs mainly. Rio to Europe or the Gulf is a regular route for "mules." Transit stops like Dubai/Frankfurt are first in line
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