Employee at airport caught with Dutch football team shirt
The aim of these stop-and-search operations goes beyond detecting and intercepting criminal activity
A total of 3 500 people and 560 vehicles working on the airside of OR Tambo International Airport have been stopped and searched since the peak season began.
In addition, an employee of a ground handling company leaving the access-controlled area was arrested on December 26.
As he placed his jacket into a scanner another garment wrapped in the jacket was detected. Security staff then found a new soccer shirt of Dutch football team Feyenoord had been wrapped in the jacket.
The employee could not account for the shirt and was taken to the police station at the airport and arrested.
The aim of these stop-and-search operations goes beyond detecting and intercepting criminal activity. The random nature of the operations increases the risk of detection, creates further uncertainty in the minds of criminals and helps to prevent crime.
Says airport spokesperson Samukelo Khambule: “We appreciate that the greater numbers of travellers at this time of year can also attract criminals. Additional physical monitoring of the terminals is therefore essential. We have also secured additional qualified staff to assist with real-time monitoring in the CCTV control room,” she says.
