AIRPORTS MORE SECURE, SAYS UK EXPERT

BUT CONSTANT BATTLE TO KEEP DRUGS OUT

A British Customs security expert says that security at Jamaica's two
international airports - Manley in Kingston and Sangster in Montego
Bay - are now up to international standards, lessening the ability of
drug smugglers to move contraband through them.

Moreover, according to John Whyte, the head of UK Customs' London and
National Detection Region, there is a clear will by the Jamaican
authorities to get things right.

Whyte was in Jamaica last week for a series of meetings with local
officials on deepening anti-narcotics cooperation between Jamaica and
Britain, especially under a project called Operation Airbridge.

"I was at the (Manley) Airport (last Tuesday) and there is a level of
security that now meets international standards," Whyte said in an
interview.

On his previous visit to Jamaica, he had observed a range of obvious
lapses in airport security - like a door leading to sensitive areas
through which airport employees go in and out without passing through
stringent security checks each time. This, and more, have been corrected.

"Just by doing that fairly simple thing you reduce opportunity," Whyte
said. "The airport authorities have listened very closely to what we
have said."

At least two UK Customs officers have been in the island for the last
six months, working alongside Jamaican counterparts in the anti-drug
effort.

Whyte on last week's visit had talks with the Permanent Secretary in
the National Security Ministry Gilbert Scott, the Jamaica Constabulary
Force's head of narcotics ACP Errol Strong, and airport officials,
about the Jamaica/UK anti-narcotics effort and airport security.

"I think there is a real will to get this right," Whyte said. "It is
apparent in the conversations we had. It's been apparent from the
ongoing dialogue. with the Jamaican authorities."

With new methods emerging regularly to smuggle drugs out of Jamaica,
Whyte said airport workers were among those who had to be closely
monitored. He conceded, however, that the problem of airport employee
corruption existed not only in Jamaica, and the UK too has had to
formulate programmes to flush out the crooks.

"We have an ongoing programme where we constantly test the attendance
of our officers," Whyte said. "We move officers around so that they
are not doing the same job all the time. We have managers who have
assurance programmes and they are actually checking on those officers.
If there is anyone who we have any suspicion about, we will
investigate that."

A Customs officer at Gatwick Airport, Whyte said, was recently
convicted on corruption charges.

An airport crime team, he said, also monitors other line employees
such as baggage handlers who may find ingenious ways to get contraband
on, and off, aeroplanes.

"One of the major types of smuggling from not just Jamaica, but other
countries, is rip-on," Whyte said. "That's when drugs are put aboard
the aircraft after a passenger is checked in. So he can check the bag
in, it's empty or has very little in it."

"And similarly at the other end in the UK, you will have collusion
between an airport worker who takes it off before it gets there," Whyte said.

This can be done either with or without the passengers' knowledge, and
is one of the methods of drug smuggling that UK Customs has been
working closely with their Jamaican counterparts to stem.

"We've been working to give advice on how we can minimise the
opportunity for those drugs to be put onboard the aircraft," said Whyte.