Duty-free shops alerted to security - but knives still for sale

People flying overseas can still order knives and other potential weapons from duty-free stores and collect them after passing through New Zealand Customs, despite tighter security following the United States terrorist attacks.

But the Civil Aviation Authority says that after the September 11 attacks, it sent a special notice to airport authorities about the goods being sold at airports. It asked them to ensure that the stores do not deliver to passengers products that could be used as weapons.

Airport security in New Zealand was heightened after terrorists armed only with knives and cardboard cutters hijacked four planes in the US, crashing two into New York's World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon near Washington DC. Another crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

Auckland Airport's website, though, still allows travellers to order knives and other products over the internet.

Travellers can order products at least 24 hours before departure and collect them before boarding planes.

The website says people leaving the country can pick their goods up after passing through Customs.

Wellington and Christchurch Airports also allow passengers to pick up goods after passing through Customs.

CAA spokesman Peter Singleton said airport authorities should be able to pick up on the sale of banned goods.

The corporate services manager of the Aviation Security Service, Mark Williams, said the sale of products such as knives was being screened at source and knives should not end up on planes.

People were still being asked to think about what they carried on to aircraft, he said. Airports were getting bogged down with confiscated products and had started to bin them or ask people to arrange for friends to pick them up.

Mr Williams said the extra security the Government put in place at airports would remain until at least Christmas while the Ministry of Transport conducted a security review.

The Government has announced a $3.21 million boost for New Zealand's airport security.

- NZPA

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