Pipe bomb incident has expert and minister slamming airport security
Posted January 15, 2014 9:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canadian airport security is under a microscope after an 18-year-old man was allowed to board an international flight despite screening officers discovering a pipe bomb in his carry-on luggage.
In September Skylar Murphy was caught with the explosive device at the Edmonton airport, but after the pipe bomb was confiscated he was allowed to board his flight.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority notified the RCMP of the incident four days later.
International Aviation Consultant Isaac Yeffet said he can’t believe this has happened.
“This is beyond my imagination,” he said “You confiscate it and you tell him take the flight and go? Have we lost our heads or what?”
Yeffet said security failures like this can make Canada a target for terrorism and questioned f security officials have learned anything from the Air India bombing or September 11th.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority isn’t saying much about the case.
“The item in question never entered the sterile area of the airport nor an aircraft. When screening officers see something potentially illegal, they contact the police,” explained CATSA spokesperson Mathieu Larocque. “For security reasons, we can’t get into details about specific procedures, which include our protocols with the police.”
The incident has drawn the ire of federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt.
“This individual should not have been allowed to board his flight, and it is unacceptable that CATSA waited four days before seeking the RCMP’s assistance,” Raitt says in a statement.
The Minister said she is calling the president of CATSA “to ensure the organization takes further action to better protect the safety of Canadian travelers.”
Murphy was arrested after he returned to Canada. He has since been sentenced to one year probation and has been issued a $100 fine.
