Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[Aviador]

[textarea]Terrorist hoaxer jailed for five years

A hoax in my opinion caller who made false claims about imminent terrorist attacks has been jailed for five years.

Salmon Mukaty, 27, of Holmdale, Slough, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment with a recommendation for deportation after serving his sentence.

Mukaty made a number of phone calls to police on March 27 this year claiming that a number of terrorist attacks were imminent, which led to a security alert and subsequent closure of Leeds Bradford Airport.

Speaking after the sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court, London, on Friday, Det Ch Supt George Turner, head of the South East Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "The sentencing passed today on Salmon Mukaty sends a clear message that this kind of offence is treated extremely seriously by the police and the courts.

"Anyone who may consider making such a hoax in my opinion call should expect to be caught and receive a similar prison sentence."

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Leeds-Bradford Airport incidents help inspire new law

A potentially dangerous craze of dazzling aircraft pilots with lasers has been outlawed under new legislation, it was announced today.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has campaigned for a change in the law, said the move was in response to a huge increase in incidents at airports such as Leeds-Bradford.

The Yeadon airport had one of the highest number of incidents involving people shining lasers at aircraft of any in the UK last year.

Under the Air Navigation Order 2009, which has now come into force, it is illegal for someone to “direct or shine any light at any aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot.”

Captain Bob Jones, head of flight operations at the CAA, said: “This new criminal charge will strengthen the hand of law enforcement agencies in their efforts to tackle this problem.

“I advise individuals who may think shining a laser at an aircraft is a bit of fun to think again.”

Dazzling a pilot with a light or laser is a serious safety risk, particularly during take-off and landing when a pilot’s concentration was highest, he said.

In 2009 there were a total of 737 attacks – 39 at Leeds-Bradford – with lasers on commercial airliners, air ambulances and police helicopters across the UK, an increase on just 29 incidents in 2007.

One saw three Bradford University students given suspended jail sentences for shining a laser into the eyes of a West Yorkshire Police helicopter pilot.

The Crown successfully prosecuted Themis Kalogridis, 23, Vaggelis Giannakakos, 21 and Vasileios Keramidas, 22, for recklessly or negligently acting to endanger aircraft.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force was now using an on-board camera and GPS system to pinpoint where the laser beam was coming from.

He said: “Officers on the ground can then be directed to a location to trace any offenders. This is something the police take very seriously."

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Radio hoaxers putting lives at risk with fake air traffic calls

Pirate broadcasters have been risking lives by posing as air crew and sending bogus messages to air traffic controllers at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

A police investigation has begun to catch the illegal broadcasters who have been using specialist equipment – and specific airline ‘call signs’ – to disrupt planes landing or taking off from the Yeadon airport.

There have been two incidents reported to police by airport staff since Christmas, sparking safety concerns.

Mark Winterbourne, chairman of Project Griffin, the airport’s anti-terrorism operation, said: “These people just think they are having a laugh but it is a very juvenile and immature act where the consequences could be so dire, you cannot imagine.”

He said that, although air traffic controllers were aware of all of the planes’ flight paths, the illegal broadcasts could cause danger by increasing the possibility of aircraft colliding.

They have sent calls on the correct radio frequency – one of thousands available – used by the airport, said Mr Winterbourne.

They are understood to have been near the airport when the broadcasts were made.

Mr Winterbourne said: “The calls were pretending to be for air traffic controllers and anybody broadcasting on that frequency is creating not only a danger to the air traffic control but also a danger to the pilot and the public, passengers and people on the ground.”

Andy Leat, a constable with the Leeds-Bradford Airport police, who is based in Otley, said West Yorkshire Police had stepped up patrols around the airport in a bid to catch the airwave pirates.

They are believed to be in their late teens or early 20s and have “specialist knowledge” of aircraft and airports.

PC Leat said: “To be able to broadcast on an airport frequency, you need specialist equipment.

“Each airline has a call sign and they were using the correct call sign for an airline which uses Leeds-Bradford Airport.

“It generated into general chat but they initially called up as an airline.”

A spokesman for Leeds-Bradford Airport said it did not want to comment as the incidents were being investigated jointly by the police and Project Griffin staff.

Anyone with information should contact the Leeds-Bradford Airport Neighbourhood Policing Team on (01274) 471474

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[Aviador]

On the off chance that this person is also a member or guest users of this forum, I do hope that you stop this childish and dangerous game whilst you're ahead. You will be caught out sooner or later as it is possible to track such transmissions.

 

[Bigman]

What is it with these tossers!!! Don't they know they are playing a serious game with peoples lives????

If anyone knows or hears anything about this, for gods sake shop the ********.

 

[backtrack]

These people are a disgrace, it wasnt too long ago when we were hearing of people shining laser beams at pilots whilst on final approach into LBA. Could it be the same people doing this? Its a real shame they think it may be `fun` and `a laugh`, but to put so many peoples lives at risk like this, no wonder the police treat it under the Terrorism act. Does anyone know if those people shining the laser beams ever got caught...i damm hope so.

Maybe the police need to up their prescence both around the airport, and indeed around the local areas, around the perimeter at least. Unfortunately, unlike Manchester, Leeds suffers from not having a complete perimeter road whereby patrols by both police vehicles and Airside Operations/Safety Unit can be carried out. Maybe the Safety Unit could do more of the patrols they do at the moment, in a similar way to their `bird runs` and `runway inspections`...?

The police must be able to track these people, there must be someway to catch them, even if it is just the direction of the signal been sent, which would then allow police to be sent that way to investigate.

 

[Bigman]

Anyone seen the report on the YEP website about a bunch of illegals turned back the other Sunday?

I was up there that day. They came in on the afternoon KLM flight. We saw what looked like a bunch of Columbian drugs traffickers being escorted by a large number of police/special branch back along the arrivals corrider. We then saw a load of cases being wheeled back down the arrivals corrider as well. I guess they were put straight back on the next KLM flight back to Amsterdam.

Can anyone else confirm this.

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Security hitch at airport

In common with other travellers who often fly from Leeds Bradford Airport, I am always disappointed at the service and the majority of my complaints have already been chronicled by my fellow travellers.
However, travelling to Malaga on Monday, March 29 on the 8am flight, it took 50 minutes to get through security and only after being fast-tracked did we get to the departure gate at 7.55am, five minutes before the flight was due to leave.

In no way am I bringing a complaint regarding the security staff, who clearly were overworked but it's not very reassuring when a representative from Jet2 said this was the start of the summer season and matters would only get worse! Hardly a good advert for the Leeds community who support the airport.

Incidentally, on my return trip, it took exactly one minute 50 seconds to get through the security at the extended and refurbished Malaga Airport.

If Leeds Bradford Airport is unable to offer a more speedy security check-in service, then they should be honest about that and restrict the number of passengers to avoid inconvenience to the travelling public.

The simple answer,of course, is to enlarge the security area but presumably this has not been done through lack of capacity.

Incidentally on my return to Leeds Bradford Airport on Tuesday, March 30 at 3pm, there was still a queue at security, although not quite as big as the one on Monday morning.

P O'Hara, Oulton, Leeds

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[yorkshire]

it is worring that the airport cant cope with large numbers of passengers, i hope the extenstion WHEN we finally get it helps to improve things.

 

[Runway 32]

The comments above are very much in line with my post just now in the LBA general thread. 15 minutes to get through fast track this morning! Not good and it did appear as though it is that the airport cannot handle the volume of passengers passing through it. Role on the expansion!

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]West Yorkshire Police pledged to stop hooligans travelling to South Africa

Police in West Yorkshire today underlined their determination to stop local hooligans causing trouble at the World Cup.

Fans with football banning orders have been told to surrender their passports to the authorities to prevent them travelling to South Africa.

As previously reported by the YEP, fans subject to orders must also attend local police stations when England play.

However, a total of 15 people in West Yorkshire with banning orders failed to report to the police on May 30, the day of England's World Cup warm-up friendly against Japan.

Seven of those people have since been arrested and inquiries are ongoing to trace the remainder.

West Yorkshire Police's football intelligence officer Paul Barclay said today: "Any failure to attend a police station during an England match will result in that person's arrest.

"We are working closely with police forces across the country as well as officers in South Africa to ensure that banned fans cannot get to the World Cup.

"We also have officers at Leeds Bradford Airport who will check travelling fans."

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Big drugs find at Leeds Bradford Airport

Heroin with a street value of £800,000 was discovered in the luggage of a passenger at Leeds Bradford Airport late last month, it has been revealled. The 10kg haul, concealed in a soft-sided suitcase, was seized from a flight from Amsterdam on Tuesday, June 29. A 20-year-old man has since been charged with the importation of heroin.

The discovery was made when staff from the UK Border Agency carried out spot checks on passengers arriving on a flight from the Dutch capital. Andy Lumb, assistant director of the UK Border Agency, said:’This haul shows the checks we carry out at Leeds Bradford are robust. We search for a range of items, including drugs and weapons as well as cigarettes and tobacco.'

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[Bigman]

What I don't understand, is how can this get through central screening at Schiphol?? Wasn't there also a bomb on a Delta flight into the US earlier this year, also from Amsterdam. I am going there next weekend so naturally this concerns me greatly.

 

[Seasider]

After reading complaints of hold ups at Immigration control, I was please to find that when we arrive from AMS on Tuesday evening, there were 4 desks open and the queue was moving fast, so you didn't have to stand and wait.
Thank you to the people involved, I hope one of them visits this forum.

 

[Seasider]

I forgot, tip for Bigman. When we arrived at AMS on Monday morning, the queue at the first access to the arrivals hall was backing up the stairs.(loadsof easyJet BMI Baby and Jet 2 arrivals) Go further around the terminal and exit the next one, no queue.

 

[White Heather]

Thanks Seasider. I think you will find too that if LBA management had their way, all the desks would always be open and it would always be like this. The level of staffing is not something the airport can control and it is down to the Government Department (Customs & Excise?). Some year ago they closed their full time presence at LBA and just came up to the airport when they felt like it was worthwhile. I think those days are gone now, but even so, it is a Civil Service Department and they decide on staffing levels. With the forthcoming cut backs in all Civil Service departments, we can expect less staff working at airports and more delays in the future.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The level of staffing is not something the airport can control and it is down to the Government Department (Customs & Excise?)

The UK Border Agency was formed in 2008 and is the authority responsible for dealing with immigration including checking passports at airports. It has a broad responsibility to secure the UK's borders and as part of this is responsible for port of entry Customs work, including the detection of smuggling. When the Border Agency was formed thousands of Customs officers were transferred to it.

The new government is talking about developing the Border Agency even further with a corps of Border police officers.

The Customs officers who deal with such things as VAT have now amalgamated with the Inland Revenue to form HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs) and aren't much in evidence at airports unless someone owes income tax or hasn't paid their VAT. :shok:

Heather is right about the cutbacks. The Border Agency isn't concerned about passenger experience at airports but has to cut its cloth according to the funds available to it.

Unfortunately, when things are slow most passengers blame the airport not the government which is ultimately responsible for funding the Border Agency.

 

[Aviador]

What I don't understand, is how can this get through central screening at Schiphol?? Wasn't there also a bomb on a Delta flight into the US earlier this year, also from Amsterdam. I am going there next weekend so naturally this concerns me greatly.

The job of the Central Screening at Schiphol will be no different from any other airport and that isn't looking for drugs.

 

[Bigman]

Thanks Seasider, I will bear that in mind. We might stay airside for a while anyway.

 

[Bigman]

Interesting comparisons.

LBA - all 4 scanners in operation on Saturday morning. Pretty seamless operation.
AMS - 1 out of 4 scanners working on H pier. Bloody ages waiting.

LBA - all 4 immigration desks open at 21:05. Not too long a wait
AMS - precisely 2 out of 14 immigration desks open. Bloody ages waiting.

Sorry Barneveld brigade, but that was a shocking experience.