Reporters smuggle handguns on to plane ( France )

[philw]

 

SECURITY staff at two busy French airports failed to spot a handgun hidden inside the luggage of two reporters.
The undercover journalists from state-run France 2's Envoye Special program boarded planes at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Marseille airport with the 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
The guns had been dismantled into two pieces, inside their cabin bags, and then reassembled in the toilets mid-flight by one of the reporters.
The program set out to prove perceived weaknesses in screening routines at French airports. The searches are carried out by staff employed through private security firms.
The report claims the staff are not adequately trained.
One of the journalists, Linda Bendali, told France Info radio that a lack of attention was not the problem, rather "a lack of understanding of what they were supposed to be looking out for. They are not very familiar with dangerous weapons."

The French national police authority refused to comment until it saw the full report. Airport managers in Paris and Marseille also declined to comment before the program was aired.
"This demonstrates a real problem today that outsourcing security to private companies automatically leads to lower levels of security," the general secretary of the police union SGP-FO police unit, Nicolas Comte, said.
"We must have state controls on screening," he added, requesting an "audit of airport security."
France has been on alert after a series of non-specific warnings of terrorist attacks.
A number of suspects linked to Islamic extremist groups were arrested toward the end of last year.

 http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/french-reporters-smuggle-handgun-on-to-plane-in-paris/story-e6frfq80-1225983403599#ixzz1ALGG88Ko

[fightingquaker13]

On the one hand, its (I suppose) a good wake up call. Though honestly, I'd rather have an independent group like the GAO do these kinds of checks rather than a couple of Geraldo Rivera wannabes who could get my flight delayed for hours at best.
On the other hand? Walking out of an airplane bathroom with a handgun? You're asking to be a smear on the carpet. WTF? Anyone with sense from a little old lady up is going to be on you and screaming. A Pulitizer prize or a Darwin award. Journalism's a rough game.
FQ13

[alfsauve]

I believe:

• TSA conducts tests.  (Of course, they are not independent)
• Other US agencies have secretly conducted their own tests
• The results show weapon parts, carefully positioned are rarely spotted by scanner ops
• They don't make public the results because it would reveal the sham of our airport security
• They use the cover of "national security" to hide behind

Of course one could argue that maintaining the "sham" IS part of the security.

[tombogan03884]

On the one hand, its (I suppose) a good wake up call. Though honestly, I'd rather have an independent group like the GAO do these kinds of checks rather than a couple of Geraldo Rivera wannabes who could get my flight delayed for hours at best.
On the other hand? Walking out of an airplane bathroom with a handgun? You're asking to be a smear on the carpet. WTF? Anyone with sense from a little old lady up is going to be on you and screaming. A Pulitizer prize or a Darwin award. Journalism's a rough game.
FQ13

FQ, the last time the French government tried doing that sort of "testing" they lost  "nuclear material" that wound up coming to the US.
Are you still sure you want them in charge of anything ?    

[sledgemeister]

I would have thought if the french had seen a gun at a airport they would assume they was being invaded and surrended before the situation escalated.
French hmmm the last good thing they did was blow up the Rainbow Warrior in NZ

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