PPRuNe Forums - Russians, Oligarchs and flights into the UK

Hello everybody. I hope this is the right place to ask for some help. I'm a journalist with the Financial Times. We're looking into Russian (and other oligarchs) private jet use - and whether enough scrutiny is paid to passengers coming in and out of airfields like Farnborough and Biggin Hill: in the wake of the novichok poisoning it seems unusual that so many oligarchs and their entourages are still able to fly in and out of airports in the UK without their luggage being checked at all or often even their passports etc -- just because they're super wealthy. We have heard some fairly tall tails of bodyguards and heavies coming in armed (with presumably undeclared handguns) and various other things.

Perhaps this is a non-story, which is why I thought I would post on here, hoping to hear from professionals with first hand knowledge of this kind of thing. Us being the FT, we're not interested in something which turns out to be bogus just to get some attention. But if there are things that really should be tightened up in terms of security checking, we'd like to write about why (and how urgent it might be) given the world we're living in now.

Obviously all responses treated in strictest confidence (unless people are happy to be named). Reply to this thread I suppose or message me and I can pass on my work email (in case anyone wants to check this is a legit enquiry). All anecdotes, facts, tales, slap downs, gratefully received.

Thanks!

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