Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[Aviador]

Related topics can be posted here. Please be reminded that this is a public forum. Do not post things that could hinder airport or airline security.

 

[Aviador]

Security stepped up for arrival of President Obama at Stansted Airport

A MASSIVE security operation is under way in and around Stansted Airport in preparation for the touchdown tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31, of American President Barack Obama.

BAA was gearing up to accommodate an unprecedented entourage of more than 500, who were expected to accompany the first black leader of the free world and ensure his safety in the face of terrorism and assassination fears.

He will be meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other world leaders – some of whom may also fly into Stansted – for the G20 summit this week.

Motorists on the M11 on Sunday got a small glimpse of the huge operation about to swing into action when eight police motorcycle outriders, with blue lights blazing, formed an advance column, before a limousine with blacked out windows and at least six black Jeep-style vehicles, also with tinted glass, swept out of Stansted and south towards London.

Staff at the airport have already been warned about no-go areas in advance of the CIA clampdown and Essex police have upped their presence, carrying out a sweep of the north side of the airport in preparation for the momentous visit. Officers have been spotted removing manhole covers and searching sewers and drains.

Previously American presidents have flown into Heathrow for visits to the UK, but after George W Bush’s last arrival caused chaos, preparations for an alternative destination were prepared for President Obama, who was inaugurated on January 20. Stansted became the front-runner because of its extensive private facilities away from the main terminal.

However, it was becoming clear this week that the latest operation will inevitably cause some disruption – despite BAA’s efforts to continue business as usual.

It is believed that roads including the M11 could be closed after the arrival of Air Force One and the presidential party including a reported 200 special agents and 300 state department officials. First Lady Michelle Obama will also have her own security and support team.

Provided weather conditions permit, Mr Obama is expected to leave Stansted in the presidential helicopter – Marine One – bound for the US ambassador’s official residence at Regents Park in the capital, but his entourage is expected to head for London by road in a giant motorcade.

After the summit and a planned meeting with the Queen, the president is expected to leave Britain on Thursday or Friday.

Source

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]870kg of smuggled tobacco intercepted at Stansted Airport

Officers from the UK Border Agency seized a total of 870kg of chewing tobacco at Stansted Airport spread over three freight consignments earlier this month. The packages had come from Belgium and had been listed not as chewing tobacco but as ‘chewing products’ in a bid to evade duty worth more than £66,000. Instead they were confiscated and will be destroyed.

One container, weighing 300kg, was destined for an address in Hook, while the other two were due to go to addresses in London. Officers spotted a mistake in the paperwork and authorised a search.

Sarah Wolstenholme, assistant director for the UK Border Agency at Stansted, said: ‘From that point on the detection was straightforward, the smugglers made no attempt at concealment and were hoping that the consignments would simply go unchecked. The tobacco was undoubtedly heading for the black market, cheating the British taxpayer and undermining honest traders.’

She said the tobacco will be taken to an incinerator plant, where it will be burned to produce energy for the London electricity supply.

Source[/textarea]

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]£100,000 in fake goods seized at Stansted Airport

A large quantity of fake Ugg Boots, Nike trainers and GHD hair straighteners has been seized at Stansted Airport. The 455 pairs of boots, 207 pairs of trainers and 90 straighteners were all sent to the UK by the same Chinese exporter. Sold on the high street the items could have raised in excess of £100,000, with a significant loss of revenue to the Treasury in the form of VAT and import duty payments.

The boots and straighteners all arrived in individual parcels, while the trainers were spread across 12 consignments, all bound for residential addresses around the country. Tony Karet, UK Border Agency senior detection manager at the airport, said: ‘It was clear these were cheap and, in the case of the straighteners, potentially dangerous counterfeits.'

Source[/textarea]

 

[lbaspotter]

Two RAF Euro Feighter jets were scrambled to accompany the Airbus A340 airliner into London Stansted belonging to the Etihad which was going towards Heathrow yesterday lunchtime.

Source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ted-passengers-threats.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

passenger 'makes threats'

- British man, 37, arrested after emergency landing
- Abu Dhabi flight scheduled to land at Heathrow
- Passengers claim drunk man had made threats

Fighter jets were scrambled to escort an Airbus into Stansted Airport yesterday, after a passenger made threats on board.

The Etihad flight heading from Abu Dhabi to London's Heathrow Airport was redirected after the pilot contacted air traffic control to say a man had begun making threats.

Two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled to accompany the 300-seater airliner belonging to the national airline of the United Arab Emirates before it landed shortly before midday.

The Heathrow-bound Etihad plane was diverted to Stansted after a 37-year-old man 'made threats' on board

Waiting police immediately moved in on the man, a British national, and led him away for questioning.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: 'A 37-year-old man, a British national, has been arrested following an incident onboard an Etihad Airways plane travelling from Abu Dhabi to Heathrow.

'The pilot reported a passenger causing disruption and making threats. The plane was diverted to Stansted Airport were it landed just before midday.

'No-one has been injured and the airport has been operating normally.'

Ted Underhill, a plane spotter, witnessed the drama. He said: 'It just flew in with a fighter, which I think was Typhoon. The fighter spent a few minutes circling over the airfield, it was quite low as the plane landed, then went up and circled round a few times and then someone must have given the all clear to go.

Action stations: Two Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept the Airbus belonging to the national airline of the United Arab Emirates

'I've heard there was second fighter but I didn't see it. The landing looked quite normal to me. I assumed there had been some sort of terrorist incident or some sort of trouble onboard.

'I've never seen anything like that in all the years I've been spotting planes here.'
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: 'Typhoon aircraft were launched this morning to escort a passenger aircraft due to an incident on board.

'The aircraft landed safely at Stansted Airport.'

'The airport remained open and flights are arriving and departing as normal.'

A Stansted spokesman added: 'Etihad flight EY19 to London was diverted to Stansted in order to offload a disruptive guest on board.

A source at the airport said: 'We are hearing all sorts of things but it sounds as though the passenger has said something to a woman on board and it's all kicked off. It must have been bad for this to have happened though.

'There's lots of different stories going around.'

Another man said the 37-year-old man, who is not thought to live in Britain, added: 'I heard he was very drunk and was making a scene.'

Passengers were kept on board the plane at Stansted while it was refuelled and then expected to fly on to Heathrow shortly after 4pm.

Essex Police said it had taken a decision not to reveal where the arrested man lives or what he is alleged to have said.

 

[Aviador]

This is the second time in a week that the RAF have been scrambled to escort aircraft into land. Similar happened with an aircraft heading to Manchester airport.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Police warn over Stansted Airport laser pen incidents

The police have warned of the dangers of shining laser pens at aircraft after a number of cases near Harlow in Essex. On three consecutive nights last week laser pens were shone at planes coming into land at Stansted Airport.

Essex Police said the activity, which is a criminal offence, could have ‘extremely serious consequences’. PC Alan Hodgetts said: ‘Not only can it be a distraction for the pilots, it can potentially put aircraft in danger.’

He said: ‘We are patrolling areas where we suspect this is happening. What we want to do is catch somebody and make an example of them.’ He asked anyone with information about the recent incidents to contact Essex Police.

Source[/textarea]

 

[Aviador]

Stansted delays after Ryanair passengers 'go through wrong door'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30673605

Sounds like someone working for the airlines handling agent is inexperienced and probably doesn't know there way around the terminal!