Airport security, Slovak Style

[aap1966]

Reported by NYT, so I can't vouch for accuracy:

In what no doubt seemed like a good idea at the time, Slovak officials decided to test airport security in Slovakia on Saturday by concealing plastic explosives in eight suitcases and waiting to see what happened next.

Here’s what happened next: airport security workers intercepted seven of the suitcases but failed to detect 96 grams of the plastic explosive RDX loaded into one bag, which belonged to a Slovak electrician who lives in Ireland and had no idea his luggage had been tampered with. The man boarded his flight to Dublin, retrieved his bag and went home to his apartment.

The man then unpacked but, The Irish Times reports, “the explosives had been concealed so well that he did not find them.”

Three days later, on Tuesday, it occurred to someone in Slovakia that the fact that one of the explosive-packed bags had gone missing was a problem.
Slovakian airport authorities contacted Dublin to ask for help.

On Tuesday morning, the Irish Army’s bomb squad paid a visit to the apartment of the Slovak electrician in Dublin and secured the explosives.
According to a Canadian Press report, the man was detained for several hours by the Irish police who said they “initially were led to believe the man might be a terrorist.” The man was released after Slovak officials made it clear that they had been responsible for planting the explosives.

On Wednesday morning, The Associated Press reported, Slovakia’s interior ministry issued a statement explaining that “The aim of the training was to keep sniffer dogs in shape and on alert in a real environment.” According to the ministry, the bag that made it past the dog had two bomb components in it. The sniffer dog apparently found one of the components, but the police officer in charge of the test failed to remove the second component because he was busy.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Wonder if they were trained by the TSA. Seems likely.

[masraum]

That's awesome!

[A930Rocket]

Can't they find something inert to smell like a bomb instead of scaring and/or causing the clusterf*ck they did?

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Can't they find something inert to smell like a bomb instead of scaring and/or causing the clusterf*ck they did?

The worry is that the genuine explosive was the easiest stuff for them to get their hands on....

[m21sniper]

Idiots.

Me personally, i'd prefer that security went back to pre 9/11 protocols.

I'd much rather take my chances with terrorists than with the US government.

[Mo_Gearhead]

I wish I could draw well and be a cartoonist.

My comedic vision for safe flying in the age of terrorists?

A cabin full of passengers ...each and every one, holding a GUN to the others head.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Idiots.

Me personally, i'd prefer that security went back to pre 9/11 protocols.

I'd much rather take my chances with terrorists than with the US government.

Yep. Why not let the airlines define their own security protocols? It's their aircraft and customers at risk. I guarantee we would have El Al type security. Fast, efficient and effective. And they would "profile" like a mother f"er.

Hell, they are private companies! They should be able to say, "We no longer sell tickets to citizens of the following countries..."

[Joe Bob]

Sitting in an airport right.....the fuch ing idjuts just confiscated my half empty tube of Ultra Brite toothpaste. The max is 3.4 ounces.....the label said it was 6.0. I countered that it was 1/2 empty.

No go.....kill me now.