Take a look at how the Australian Federal Police catch drug couriers, criminals, terrorists at Adelaide Airport
With 90 criminals nabbed at South Australia’s gateway to the world over 12 months, take an inside look at the AFP’s SA operations at Adelaide Airport.
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Drug busts, weapon seizures, assaults and wanted criminals – almost 90 people have been arrested at Adelaide Airport in just 12 months.
As it works to prevent a “mass casualty” event, the Australian Federal Police has taken The Advertiser behind the scenes of its South Australian operations.
INSIDE ADELAIDE AIRPORT
A group of weary travellers eagerly wait by one of Adelaide Airport’s baggage carousels for their luggage to appear, blissfully unaware that behind a wall and just metres away, a highly-skilled police canine is combing over their bags searching for illegal contraband.
At his handler’s call, Jester springs into action, scrambling along the carousel, jumping from bag to bag, ready to pounce on anything that his expertly-trained nose detects.
While Jester may look like a regular labrador in his down time, when the seven-year-old is in uniform and on duty, he is one of the Australian Federal Police’s most valuable assets.
One of 10 AFP canines based at Adelaide Airport Jester and his handler Leading Senior Constable Robert Gilroy regularly sweep the airport, checking luggage and responding to taskings.
HOW AIRPORT POLICE DOGS WORK
In 2023, the AFP’s canine unit, including dogs trained to detect cash, drugs, firearms, explosive and electronic devices, completed 243 taskings which can range from general patrols, to responding to targeted searches.
The unit’s Technology Detection Dogs, trained to sniff out USBs, SIM cards, hard drives, mobile phones and storage device cards, also helped officers execute 50 warrants.
“We’ll do operations like that airside, where we’ll run either a firearms or explosive dog or a drug dog over the bags,” Acting Inspector Dan Finley said.
“We’ll also at the same time be doing target operations on the staff that are working there, making sure they’re complying with their requirements.”
AFP ARRESTS AT ADELAIDE AIRPORT
In 2023, AFP officers at Adelaide Airport attended 6000 taskings, which included patrol activities and responding to incidents or reports of crime.
Across the year, 89 people were arrested and charged with 101 offences including assault, weapons offences, behavioural offences, drug offences and theft.
The most commonly seized type of weapon is credit card knives, which were found in passengers’ carry-on luggage.
“There are always, to be blunt, ways that people try to sneak things through an airport,” Inspector Finley said.
But despite the unavoidable requirements that come with policing an international airport, the number one priority for the AFP, which has more than 500 members patrolling Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports, is its counter-terrorism operations.
COUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS
After the AFP foiled a planned terrorist attack at Sydney Airport in 2017, Inspector Finley helped establish Adelaide’s Protection Operations Response Team, which includes members who are armed with short barrel rifles to increase the airport’s high-visibility policing.
The Protection Operations Response Team, which operates at each of Australia’s nine major airports, is specially trained to deal with any terrorism threat.
Inspector Finley said although it was difficult to quantify the team’s impact with statistics and there had been some negative feedback about the heavily-armed officers airport presence, the AFP’s goal was deterring any criminal behaviour.
“We don’t know how many potential attacks we’ve stopped purely from having those police doing those regular patrols through the airport, especially with that additional equipment,” he said.
“When we’re talking about airports, or any major transportation hub, it’s a place potentially where there’s going to be mass casualties of there is a terrorist incident.
“So if we can deter that from happening, that was the main intent.”
In early February, Protection Operations Response Team members were integrated with general duties officers who regularly conduct foot patrols at the airport.
The AFP is also equipped with specialist equipment to thwart any potential threats including bags left unattended, with Rapid Appraisal Officers deployed to X-ray luggage that raise alarm bells.
“We’re all here for the safety of the travelling public,” Inspector Finley said.
“We just want to see the airports running how they’re supposed to be running.”
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