Print

Mail

wiki links

Airports blamed for lax security

Legislators yesterday slammed the government's international airport security measures, saying that lax security was to blame in recent cases where people had escaped from customs inspections at CKS International Airport.

In February a Canadian man who held an overdue passport made it past customs and was caught by airport police while trying to hail a taxi. However, just two weeks ago, a Vietnamese man eluded airport security and disappeared. He has still not been found.

During a questioning session at the Legislative Yuan's Home and Nations Committee yesterday, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator David Huang (黃適卓) asked why the airport policeman surnamed Wu, who was interrogating the Vietnamese man when he bolted away, did not promptly report the man's escape.

Kuo Chia-chu (郭嘉助), the director of the Aviation Police Office, said that Wu had gone after the man himself and was joined by another security guard standing in the arrivals area.

Kuo admitted that the airport police did not know how Wu had escaped.

Huang said that the airport police were not well-trained and could not even follow a simple standard operation procedure for handling emergency situations.

Every country has been tightening airport security since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Huang said -- with the exception of Taiwan, which is actually allowing more escapees into the country.

Huang added that when the airport police found out that the Vietnamese man had escaped, they should have notified local police agencies to send patrols onto the highways to search for him.

Without such cooperation, Huang said, it's not surprising that the man successfully escaped.

Kuo said that airport police response procedures did not include how to notify outside police forces.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Yun-sheng (林耘生) said that the airport police should keep a closer eye on people who have been rejected entry to Taiwan on previous occasions.

The incident with the Canadian man in February could have been dealt with better because records showed that the man had been rejected entry in Kaohsiung once before.

Lin also questioned the safety of airport security carrying guns, since innocent bystanders could be injured if they were used.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Yen Wan-ching (顏萬進) said that the ministry hoped to provide tranquilizer dart guns for airport police to replace real guns within six months.
This story has been viewed 1821 times.