Loophole to be closed allowing people on criminal watchlists to work at airports

The government will take action to restrict the access to sensitive national security areas to hundreds of people on criminal or gang target lists.

The government is set to reintroduce legislation to close a loophole allowing more than 200 individuals on either the National Criminal Target List or the National Gangs List to obtain passes allowing them unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s airports and sea ports.

According to the most recent figures from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, as of 2019, 227 people on the watch lists held either ASIC or MSIC passes, with 167 of them actual members or associates of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

The passes were made available because the rules state that background checks for ASIC or MSIC passes examine only whether someone is a potential threat to airline or maritime security, and not whether that person might use their access for criminal activities.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews is closing loopholes allowing hundreds of people on watchlists access to work at airports and sea ports. Picture: Getty Images

Writing in Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph, Home Affairs Secretary Karen Andrews said that the case of an airport worker helping to smuggle drugs showed there was a problem.

“Last year, an airport baggage handler was caught using their trusted position to bypass border processes to import a significant volume of cocaine through Sydney airport.

“They abused their trusted access to secure areas to ensure the criminal cargo didn’t pass security checks.

“Another baggage handler was arrested as part of Operation Ironside last week.

“Our legislation will establish a regulatory framework so that people convicted of serious offences or with known links to serious and organised crime groups, will be ineligible to hold an ASIC or MSIC card,” Ms Andrews said.

Labor has previously opposed strengthening the laws governing who can hold ASIC or MSIC cards. But it has offered to support legislation strengthening the rules around airports, while calling for a different regime at ports.

Originally published as Loophole to be closed allowing people on criminal watchlists to work at airports