Not all baggage at Adelaide Airport is X-rayed, documents tabled in Federal Parliament reveal
NEW documents tabled in Federal Parliament reveal not all baggage at Adelaide Airport is X-rayed for weapons or explosives, and passengers are able to travel under fake names — now a western suburbs MP is demanding answers.
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NEW documents tabled in Federal Parliament reveal not all baggage at Adelaide Airport is X-rayed for weapons or explosives, despite the heightened terrorism threat and aircraft safety concerns.
Authorities also admit they do not know how many passengers travel under fake names, particularly those on “no-fly lists” such as terrorists.
The admissions come as new figures show dozens of illegal weapons are being seized at Adelaide Airport every year.
Steve Georganas, the federal Labor MP for Hindmarsh, which covers the airport and its surrounding suburbs, condemned the security failures as he accused the Turnbull Government of unjustified secrecy.
After the Sunday Mail published an investigation into security at Adelaide Airport in May, Mr Georganas asked Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and his department a series of questions, which he said they were compelled to answer.
“The Minister has confirmed that not all baggage is X-rayed before it is placed on an airplane. This is an absolute disgrace and may be risking the wellbeing of travellers,” Mr Georganas told The Advertiser, adding he was seeking “urgent” clarification.
“The department has also confirmed that they do not keep track of information regarding passengers travelling on the ticket of another person.
“This puts the burden on the Australian Federal Police and contracted security services to recognise individuals who may have outstanding warrants, or others that the government has deemed too dangerous to fly overseas.”
The documents tabled in Federal Parliament also showed that over the past five years more than 200 prohibited weapons were seized at the airport.
So far this year there have been 24 weapons discovered. Last year 58 were seized, compared to 63 in 2016, 40 in 2015 and eight the previous year. Specific details were not disclosed.
It was the third-lowest total of weapons seizures at airports across Australia.
Separate figures published on Tuesday show that since 2013 just one person has been charged with smuggling a weapon on to a plane. This was in 2015.
Over that same period, 19 people were cautioned after a weapon was discovered prior to entering a “sterile area”.
The government, airport bosses and ISS, which manages Adelaide Airport security, have refused to comment on specific incidents but say safety is paramount, and their screening and security processes are of a world standard.
The government has refused to release further details of airport audits due to security concerns.
A $294 million Federal Budget boost was announced earlier this year for full-body scanners at airports, advanced X-ray equipment and upgraded screening technology.
Mr Georganas criticised the “cloak of secrecy”, pointing out the US Department of Homeland Security regularly publishes failures on explosive testing that is also conducted in Australia.
Mr Dutton has said the airport is notified of such information, but an “elected representative and the public can’t be informed for security reasons”.
Mr Georganas added: “In contrast the US talks openly about their security failures as a way to name and shame and to expose its shortcomings as a way to improve.
“Why does the Turnbull Government hide possible incompetence behind the cloak of national security?
“For a government that talks tough on national security, we have some security concerns that need to be addressed to keep the public safe. This is not a partisan issue and we need to work together to get this fixed.”
In a series of written answers on behalf of Mr Dutton, Federal Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor told Parliament that the “majority of baggage on screened air services is screened by x-ray examination”.
“X-ray is also a primary method of air cargo screening,” he said.
“For items that cannot be X-rayed, due to their size or other physical characteristics, there are alternative screening methods in place.
“For obvious security reasons, the department does not discuss details of how security screening is conducted.”
Mr Taylor said the government did not hold information on the number of domestic passengers who successfully travelled on the ticket of another passenger.
He said that in the latest Budget, funding was announced for 190 more AFP officers and new “laws to give police broader powers to conduct checks at airports and to order a person to ‘move on’ from airport premises where they pose a threat to aviation security”.