Airport baggage vulnerable to theft and drugs

Lax security at airports in New Zealand and Australia is leaving airlines and passengers' bags vulnerable to theft and drug smugglers.

In Auckland, two Air New Zealand staff have been suspended while the airline and Customs investigate them for possible misuse of company property.

Although there is no suggestion that passengers' property has been stolen or drugs have been smuggled, the cases illustrate the gaps in the system.

The airline will not go into details of the accusations, but a source has told the Weekend Herald that one of the men is known as "The Paper Man" because he boarded international flights arriving at Auckland Airport and allegedly took newspapers and magazines.

It is understood that even when he was rostered off he would go into the airport and collect the material. He mostly targeted the airline's flights from London. The man would not speak to the Weekend Herald.

While the identification of staff with security clearance is checked when they go "airside" - into the area closed to the public - their belongings are not.

The Australian federal police have busted what they say is a sophisticated drug-smuggling ring at Sydney Airport involving baggage- handlers.

They have arrested 15 people so far, and allege that one Sydney Airport contact led a team of baggage-handlers who were paid A$300,000 to smuggle 9.9kg of cocaine in a suitcase past Customs last October.

And on April 8, Qantas suspended another baggage-handler after he allegedly opened a passenger's luggage at Sydney, removed a camel suit - an Australian Football League novelty - and wore it on the tarmac.

Baggage-handlers in Brisbane have been accused of drug smuggling by lawyers for Schapelle Corby, the 27-year-old Gold Coast woman caught with 4.1kg of cannabis in her bodyboard bag at Bali Airport last October.

The lawyers say baggage-handlers planted the cannabis for someone to pick up in Sydney.

Qantas has not ruled out a link between the Corby case and the Sydney bust. The airline and Australian authorities plan to introduce covert surveillance in luggage-handling areas and further restrict staff access. There are no plans to do that in New Zealand.

Private investigator Peter O'Shea, of Auckland Investigations, which caught five baggage-handlers stealing from luggage at Auckland Airport in a surveillance operation last year, said the airport was vulnerable to security breaches involving staff.

"They don't go through any scanners or x-rays or any bag checks or anything along those lines. They just turn up, put their stuff into their lockers and off they go on to the aircraft."

Aviation Security Service general manager Mark Everitt said staff were vetted before they got clearance to go airside, and he said authorities and experts agreed that there was no organised crime in New Zealand airports.

"However, I'd have my head in the sand if I didn't say there wasn't spasmodic crime at New Zealand airports. There are instances where there are thefts."

Air New Zealand spokesman Mike Tod said he did not know when the investigation into the staff members would be complete.

Customs spokeswoman Jules Lovelock would not comment.

Mr Tod said cargo operations staff can have authority to board planes, but incidents involving employees caught in restricted areas without legitimate reason were investigated.

"Consequences range from a formal warning to dismissal," he said.

The Aviation Security Service is not involved in the investigation but Mr Everitt said it was watching the outcome.