Co-operation by all stakeholders keeps criminals at bay

PILFERAGE AT OR Tambo International Airport has been reduced by half over the past year, says Transit security manager Handre Marais, and it’s been a combined effort by all stakeholders. Airports Company of SA (Acsa) has recently installed a security surveillance system, while individual operators are going to great lengths to ensure that their own premises are adequately secured. At Transit, stringent screening of all staff has played an important role, says Marais. “At Ortia we have security guards, CCTV cameras, alarm systems and 24-hour emergency numbers. And because we operate 24/7 there’s always someone on the premises.” There are two issues to contend with, says Marais. The main problem is wellplanned syndicates run by outside organisations soliciting bribes from vulnerable staff – and the second is ad hoc pilferage. The latter, he says, has been reduced to almost nothing thanks to the stringent rules in place for the handling of cargo – restricting significantly the number of hands involved in the process. Marais is confident that the implementation of Security 108 legislation, which will require the screening of all cargo prior to loading on the aircraft, will take security at the airport to an even higher level. “The good relationship that exists between Acsa, SA Police Service and ourselves is also an important part of the mix – a collective approach to an issue that affects us all.”