Melbourne Airport security boost a bid to foil terror plots
More police with bigger guns and bomb detector dogs will be deployed to bolster security at Melbourne Airport as part of enhanced counter-terrorism operations nationwide.
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Specialist police armed with heavy rifles will begin patrols at Melbourne Airport next year as enhanced counter-terrorism operations begin at airports across the country.
Teams of highly-visible Australian Federal Police officers will be deployed to bolster security at Melbourne Airport, along with additional bomb-detector dogs.
The police will be armed with MK18 rifles, designed for close-quarter battle and using armour-piercing ammunition.
The enhanced security is being rolled out at nine major Australian airports in response to the attempt by two brothers to bring down an Etihad Airways plane out of Sydney in July 2017, using bombs packed in a meat grinder and a Barbie doll.
The plot failed only because the bag containing the explosives was turned away at the check-in desk because it was too heavy.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will on Friday announce the deployment of 135 additional police and protective service officers across the nation, including 18 at Melbourne Airport.
The officers will be trained in hostile reconnaissance threat assessment, behavioural assessment and security questioning, to better spot and intercept terrorist threats.
They will be trained to spot people scoping out the airport or attempting to circumvent security.
They will also be equipped with Daniel Defence MK18 short-barrels rifles and body-worn cameras.
”These highly trained officers run towards dangerous incidents, not away from them, and it is vital they have every resource necessary to help them do their job and protect the community,’’ Mr Morrison said.
“My first priority is to keep Australians safe and these new measures will help protect thousands of Australians that travel and visit airports every day.”
The $107 million security boost was announced in the last Budget and has not been triggered by any new specific terror threat.
The officers will deploy first in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Gold Coast airports next year, followed by Darwin, Adelaide and Cairns in 2021.
Officers have already been patrolling in Canberra and Brisbane without the rifles.
They will be carrying the MK18s in those two airport before Christmas.
Mr Dutton said the action was based on longstanding ASIO threat assessment advice.
“This national roll-out is a necessary and timely measure to counter aviation security threats and will support the dedicated officers of the AFP in protecting our community,’’ he said.
Since the national terrorism threat level was raised to “probable” in September 2014, there have been seven terrorist attacks on Australian soil and 16 plots have been disrupted by intelligence agencies.
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Seventy-six people have been convicted of terrorism-related offences.
The heavily-armed patrols will provide both a deterrent and a rapid response in the event of a terror attack or other emergency at an airport.
“We know that Australia is at risk,’’ Mr Dutton said.
“In July 2017, a major terrorist plot was disrupted targeting a passenger flight departing from Sydney and just this week our law enforcement agencies have arrested a 21-year-old who is alleged to have been involved in advocating and preparing for terrorist acts.’’
Originally published as Melbourne Airport security boost a bid to foil terror plots