SA flight security a joke

[Gawain]

South Africa has upgraded its airports for the World Cup

South African journalists say they have smuggled dangerous items onto domestic flights in hand luggage ahead of next month's football World Cup.

The journalist behind the report told the BBC the items included knives, syringes, screwdrivers and razors.

Mandy Weiner said security was "porous", as banned items had got onto more than half the flights targeted.

But an airport security spokesperson said both local and international standards were being met.

As part of the investigation carried out by South Africa's Eyewitness News, 10 planes departing from major tourist hubs in South Africa were targeted over three months.

Ms Weiner explained that on one occasion a journalist tried to smuggle "harmless products masquerading as explosives."

"We labelled them as two products which, if combined, could bring down a plane," she said.

These products - a green liquid and salt - were confiscated but Ms Weiner says the officials did not realise they could be dangerous.

Solomon Makgale from the Airports Company Security of South Africa told the BBC that airport security in South Africa is "highly regulated".

He explained that new x-ray machines and metal detectors had been bought to improve security.

"On a daily basis there's over 700 prohibited items that we detect," he said.

Some 350,000 people are expected to visit South Africa for the World Cup, which is being held in Africa for the first time and starts on 11 June

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8687537.stm

While the sap are towing boats through santon flight security is shown to be a joke

Add terror threats from everybodies favorite terror group in the mix...

 

[DarkStreet]

The journalist behind the report told the BBC the items included knives, syringes, screwdrivers and razors.

I love the response to this:

But an airport security spokesperson said both local and international standards were being met.

Um... clearly not!

 

[george_vg]

But an airport security spokesperson said both local and international standards were being met.

This makes me think of permissions where local is lekker overrides international - so yes in fact his statement is then true

 

[Ninja'd]

I love the response to this:

But an airport security spokesperson said both local and international standards were being met.

Um... clearly not!

Oh yes it has met international standards

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?231519-Guns-found-in-US-professor-s-luggage-by-Egypt-customs.&highlight=

Police in Egypt have arrested an Egyptian-American academic discovered to have several weapons in his luggage as he arrived on a flight from the US.

Officials said they saw the man, named as Mohammed Ibrahim Marei, a professor of botany, "behaving nervously" as he waited to pass through customs.

In his bags they found two handguns, 250 bullets, several swords, daggers and knives.

He had arrived on an Egyptair flight from New York to Cairo.

The authorities said they had launched an investigation, it was reported.

It was not immediately clear how the man was able to get through security in New York and board the plane.

Do you see? We're like New York.

 

[Alchemist]

This isnt a SA problem... I flew out of Heathrow, and had absent mindedly put my Leatherman in my hand luggage, and wasn't stopped.

 

[d7e7r7]

This isnt a SA problem... I flew out of Heathrow, and had absent mindedly put my Leatherman in my hand luggage, and wasn't stopped.

+1
Flew to Spain from SA via Doha Airport in Dubai. Mom had 2 knives with Ivory handles in her bag by mistake and they went undetected too.

 

[Flanders]

This isnt a SA problem... I flew out of Heathrow, and had absent mindedly put my Leatherman in my hand luggage, and wasn't stopped.

I did exactly the same thing but mine was confiscated...from Lanseria. My booking had already been hashed in a big way so I didn't have time to argue or think twice. Luckily it was a cheap knockoff.

 

[Gushesh]

On a recent trip to Cape Town, the missus got through unquestioned with her insulin injections.
On international flights we usually have to declare them and have a doctors letter with us.

 

[genetic]

Just another excuse to bash SA's name with a worldwide problem...

 

[boramk]

Oh look, it Gaiwan, our resident bad news dispenser, who claims he is on a cellphone and cannot debate with you on threads HE created..

 

[Shake&Bake]

Just another excuse to bash SA's name with a worldwide problem...

Still vital information and this was done by local journo's, so I don't reckon they did to go about name bashing.
Seemed like they were simply illustrating a problem that needs attention.

Why should there be no interest into it?
Hopefully the authorities will sit up and take note.
I appreciate the article and hope that next time I'm on a flight, that this report had hopefully made an impact regarding security.

 

[PeterCH]

On a recent trip to Cape Town, the missus got through unquestioned with her insulin injections.
On international flights we usually have to declare them and have a doctors letter with us.

How hard would it be for a terrorist to get a doctor's letter?

 

[Shake&Bake]

How hard would it be for a terrorist to get a doctor's letter?

I Lol'd and then got freaked out a bit :erm:

 

[ToAsTeD]

+1
Flew to Spain from SA via Doha Airport in Dubai. Mom had 2 knives with Ivory handles in her bag by mistake and they went undetected too.

How do you have 2x knifes by mistake? Good thing they didnt find them and confiscate em

 

[avaratz]

I also think we really need to beef up security... but then, flights aren't really what we have to worry about IMHO - it's the stadium security that needs to be 110%. Especially in the England VS USA game - prime target for an Al-Qaeda type terrorist attack.

 

[bwana]

How do you have 2x knifes by mistake? Good thing they didnt find them and confiscate em

By putting them in your hand luggage instead of checked luggage?

 

[d7e7r7]

How do you have 2x knifes by mistake? Good thing they didnt find them and confiscate em

The office she is now working at just opened like a day before left and she brought the knives to the opening for cakes or something and then put them in her handbag on leaving the opening. Guess she didn't check her handbag before leaving to go to spain

 

[trinityEon]

The airports security dont bother with our security because they know we don't have terrorists and hijackers... purely because anyone in their right mind willing to try anything with our planes need to think twice and triple check the plane's service logs to ensure the engines don't fall off, or bolts come loose and we know how lazy our criminals are... LOL