Lance Burdett: Former detective inspector says regional airport security is an unusual arrangement

Questions over whether New Zealand's regional airport security measures are up to scratch.

Stuff reports gangs are travelling between our smaller centres to traffic drugs around the country, where there's little risk of having their bags scanned.

Current security settings mean flights with fewer than 90 passengers are unlikely to go through screenings.

Former Detective Inspector Lance Burdett told Mike Hosking it's an unusual arrangement.

“It just concerns me. I was taught perhaps it was to do with the fuel or perhaps the hijacking of the plane or whatever, but it makes no real sense. We either have security or we don’t.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Our lack of security around regional flying has once again
been raised as a potential issue, so police and simply
aviation as in the Authority of got issues around lack
of screen now the concerns around transportation of drugs at
this time. Former police Detective Inspector Lance Badet is, well,
this Lance, very good morning to you. I'm well, thank you.
I don't know why we're worried about this now if

(00:20):
we haven't been worried about it for the last twenty
or thirty years. I mean, anyone who's ever flying from
you know, fung Arrate to fung array Is knows that
there's no screening. You can take on board anything you want.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, so any flights that are under ninety passengers that
doesn't require squinting. And I've always found it to be
a little bit unusual. I mean, it's nice not having
it because you can just get straight on the plane
when you're traveling a lot. But yeah, it just concerns me.
I mean I thought PEPs it was to do worth
the fuel or PEPs the hijacking of the plane whatever.
It makes no real sense. We either have security or

(00:52):
we don't.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Correct So I could have three pounds of whatever in
my bag and no one's looking, no one's questioning, no nothing.
I mean, that's the easiest transportation method going. Would gangs
use this or not? Well?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Absolutely. The reason why gans use it is because they
don't need to use a vehicle. When they start to
use vehicles or rental cars, there's a registration number, there's
a high chance of being caught by police, et cetera,
et cetera. So when they're able to do this, I
mean they can't even do it by their own vehicle
or a vehicle going across through a fiery ride. So
a plane is just a wonderful way of doing it.

(01:27):
But it's not the only way. There's there's traveling on buses,
there's all sorts of other ways. They come up with
the customized career companies that do customize pick up and delivery,
so there are ways that they will always find. But
this one is quite a big anomaly that's pretty easily fixed.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
If you started screening all flights in this country as
of tomorrow, in this ereia, what do you reckon you'd find?

Speaker 2 (01:52):
If you'd find all sorts of things, I would suggest
it will slow things down absolutely. However, it's going to
make it safer for everybody to travel. That's the big
thing about this and that isn't that what we've got
avias and security for, so that everyone flying is safer.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
I would have thought so nice to talk to you again,
lunch Lunch, but it who's the former police detective inspector
of course.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
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Speaker 1 (02:16):
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