Highlights
-US officials arrest employees at JFK International Airport on charges of international drug smuggling and distribution
-The incident has sparked debate over whether all airport employees should be screened at security checkpoints, similar to regular passengers
-The case highlights how airport employees can exploit weaknesses in current security procedures, and indicates the need for additional security measures
On October 16, 2007, US officials arrested 18 individuals, including 10 airline workers at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), on charges of international drug smuggling and distribution.
According to federal prosecutors, airport workers in the Dominican Republic concealed heroin and cocaine in luggage on international commercial flights bound for JFK, where upon arrival, a group of JFK employees would retrieve the packages and relocate them to a “safe” area prior to inspection by security officials. The suspects include: cargo and baggage handlers from Delta Airlines and American Airlines, an employee of a global courier service, and an employee of the food-services company Aramark, who had access to JFK’s tower through her position.
Prosecutors have identified the leader of the drug ring as Henry Polanco, who corresponded with drug suppliers in the Dominican Republic, and have also indicated that Jorge Espinal, a cargo supervisor for Delta, led the corrupt Delta employees.
The charges were the result of a two-year investigation, during which federal agents located 101 pounds of cocaine, 55 pounds of heroin, and six pounds of ecstasy.
This recent case highlights how airport employees can exploit weaknesses in current security procedures to smuggle drugs into the US, thereby indicating the need to implement additional security measures to protect against this type of insider threat.
Recent Drug Smuggling Operations at US Airports
US authorities have disrupted several additional drug trafficking operations involving other domestic carriers and airports over the past year.
-In April 2007, US authorities announced charges against 29 people who were involved in a drug ring based at Miami International Airport. According to officials, cargo workers smuggled cocaine and heroin throughout a five-year period. The individuals worked together at an airport ramp and warehouse, unloading drug shipments, sharing information about planes and loads, and watching for authorities.
-In March 2007, two workers at Orlando International Airport were arrested after using their work uniforms and airport identification badges to enter restricted areas of the terminal and smuggle 14 firearms and eight pounds of marijuana onto a plane traveling to Puerto Rico (Previous Report).
Drug Rings Spark Debate Over Employee Screenings
In the wake of these incidents involving airport employees, US airports around the country and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have come under increased US Congressional and public pressure to screen all airline and airport workers at security checkpoints, like regular airline passengers.
In February 2007, TSA announced that it would begin random screenings of workers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (a measure that some other major airports have already implemented), and indicated that it would later expand these screenings to all US airports.
-TSA also performs roving patrols of employees on the secure side of airports. The program began last fall and allows TSA officers to randomly inspect workers, their property, and their vehicles at any time.
Currently, only two US commercial airports, Miami International Airport and Orlando International Airport, screen all employees who have access to restricted areas. These measures were implemented as a result of the earlier drug smuggling incidents at the two airports.
While some Congressional officials believe that all employees should be screened at domestic airports, opponents argue that such a practice would be time-consuming, disruptive (as many employees move between the secure and public areas several times a day), and burdensome. Several other suggestions have been put forward, such as improved employee badges, enhanced training, increased law enforcement, and creating special screening checkpoints for employees with different rules and procedures.
Moving Forward
While all airport employees undergo a criminal background check and are vetted against terrorist watch lists prior to receiving credentials and access privileges, the recent involvement of some workers in drug smuggling operations indicates the need for further security measures and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future and protect airline passengers against this type of insider threat.
It is important for authorities to address these security gaps, as failure to deal with these problems will likely result in further risk to domestic airports.
