Weekly News (1 Feb - 8 Feb /2010)

ARGENTINA

On Wednesday (03/02), an IED functioned in front of the offices of LAN Chile in Neuquen Province. No-one was injured in the explosion, which caused damage to the front door. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Jacinto Arauz Internationalist Insurrection Rebel Brigade, who left a note at the scene stating that LAN had been attacked because it was a symbol of exploitation. The carrier is part-owned by Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera.


BAHAMAS

On Friday (05/02), three security officers at Nassau Airport (NAS) were arrested for theft as part of a Police investigation into an alleged scheme targeting outbound Haitian nationals. One of those arrested is accused of stealing nearly $5,000 from one pax, and $2,000 from another. The money is believed to have been contained in envelopes addressed to survivors of the Haitian earthquake. A spokesman for NAS said that security officers have been warned that they have no right to strip someone and count their money. He added that they did not know how many Haitians have complained of being targeted by security officers.


INDIA

On Sunday (07/02), an anonymous caller claimed that there was a suspected terrorist on board an Emirates B773 preparing to depart Mumbai (BOM) for Dubai (DXB). The aircraft had taxied when the call was received, and was directed to a remote stand, where it was evacuated and searched by security forces. All pax were rescreened, and the aircraft departed after a four hour delay. Two pax, seated in a row identified by the caller, were briefly detained by Police, but released a short time later. Nothing unusual was found.


SPAIN

On Friday (05/02), it was reported that four members of the Guardia Civil are being tried in connection with the alleged torture of two members of ETA, suspected to have been responsible for the bomb attack at Madrid's Barajas Airport (MAD) in December 2006. The Public Ministry claims the officers acted 'with emotion' after the murder of two colleagues by ETA several weeks before the MAD attack. The prosecution is calling for sentences of up to three years if the officers are convicted. A further six members of the Guardia Civil are suspected of having 'caused injuries' to the bombing suspects. The two terrorists, who were armed when arrested in 2008, have launched a civil suit against 15 officers, claiming they were beaten and tortured following their arrest.


UNITED KINGDOM

On Sunday (07/02), it was reported that Police are looking for a conman who has scammed his way across European airports for more than eight years. Andrew Gradon is wanted in connection with a fraud which targets sympathetic passengers out of what is estimated to be as much as £15,000 a month. Despite conning scores of gullible victims at airports in at least 12 countries, no one has a photograph of him. Gradon targets pax at airports, telling them he’s just missed his flight. He asks the victim for money to help get him the next flight back to Newcastle, promising to return the money, and giving them a false address and phone number.


UNITED STATES

On Monday (01/02), a Southwest Airlines B737 taxiing for a departure from Philadelphia (PHL) to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) was forced to return to stand, after a telephoned bomb threat was received by an SWA employee. The aircraft was evacuated and taken to a remote stand, where it was searched by Police Officers using explosives detection dogs. Nothing unusual was found, and the aircraft departed 90 minutes late.


On Thursday (04/02), the Federal Aviation Administrator told the House Aviation Subcommittee that a lack of communication between the cabin and the flightdeck prevented the pilots of NW253 from realising the serious nature of what was happening on board the aircraft as it made it’s approach into Detroit (DTW). According to Randy Babbitt’s testimony “the cabin crew reported that they had someone who had attempted to set firecrackers off, so it didn't elevate to anyone -- whether it was the cockpit or air traffic control -- to anything of great seriousness at that point." He added that only when the full circumstances had become clear was the aircraft taken to a remote stand, and "all air carriers in the country" were notified about the situation on Flight 253.


On Thursday (04/02), it was reported that during 2009, the TSA insisted that the operators of Richmond Airport (RIC) issue a security pass to a federal screener with a felony conviction for robbery. The screener who was 17 when he committed the crime, failed to disclose the conviction on his application form. The TSA said juvenile convictions do not bar people from employment. RIC’s security programme prohibits issuing security passes to people convicted of any disqualifying crimes. TSA’s deputy chief counsel told the operators that their screeners are “highly motivated and talented individuals who have come from law enforcement, the military, the business community or out of retirement following 9/11 to make air travel secure for the American people“.


YEMEN

On Tuesday (02/02), a British Foreign Office Minister said that Yemen has yet to upgrade airport security to allow the lifting of a suspension of direct flights to the UK from Sana’a (SAH). Flights operated by Yemenia were suspended in January following alleged Yemeni connections to the failed attack on NW253. The Minister declined to say when direct flights might be resumed, saying only that Britain was helping Yemen to improve security at SAH.


TSA Weekly Stats (25th - 31st January, 2010)

5 artfully concealed prohibited items found at checkpoints

17 firearms found at checkpoints

21 pax arrested due to suspicious behaviour or fraudulent travel documents.