MINISTER OF Transport Abdulah Omar last week appealed to the public to co-operate with the authorities by not taking with them dangerous and prohibited items such as knives, guns and ammunition, matches and cigarette lighters when flying. Speaking at Cape Town International Fire Station to celebrate Transport Week's Aviation Day recently, he said a growing number of guns and prohibited items was being confiscated by Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) security personnel. More than 24 000 prohibited items such as knives, knitting needles, letter openers and box cutters were confiscated during the six months to May 2002. During the same period over 2800 dangerous substances such as mercury, petrol, acids and gas were confiscated.
