Drug smuggler's airport escape to remain a mystery

The findings of a police review into how two New Zealand officers allowed a Polish drug smuggler they were escorting to give them the slip at Heathrow Airport may never be released because of the confidential nature of the security arrangements.

The officers were escorting Rafal Luczynski, 32, to Poland after he served 3 1/2 years of a 12-year sentence for his part in importing amphetamines worth $4 million in 2000.

He escaped from the South Auckland officers inside Terminal One of the London airport on October 12.

Disciplinary action for the officers has not been ruled out.

Police spokesman Jon Neilson said he could not guarantee the findings of the review would be released, because of the secret nature of the operation.

While some of the review might be released, key parts which referred to the security of prisoners might not.

Mr Neilson said there was no "timeline" for the review but it would be completed within three to four weeks.

Mr Neilson said there was a formal notification for alerting British police if a prisoner was being handed over, but if the prisoner and escorts were in transit then it was a more straightforward procedure.

Police general manager of public affairs Michael Player said the policemen were "rather embarrassed" at losing Luczynski, who was not handcuffed when he escaped.

Mr Player said it was assumed Luczynski had managed to breach border controls at the airport and was now on the loose in Britain.

It was not the first time he had eluded police. In 2001 he left New Zealand when remanded on bail, and was only brought back to face the drug charges two years later, after being arrested in New York.

"He seems to be a bit of a Houdini artist," Mr Player said, adding that disciplinary action against the officers was a possibility.

"But we wouldn't want to be precipitate about that," he said.

Luczynski escaped after flying to London via Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Player said police assisted New Zealand Immigration with deportations virtually every week.

- NZPA