JOY ORLEK EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES call for extreme measures and the spate of robberies, some of them armed, at Johannesburg International Airport have seen shippers and carriers of high value cargo opting for the ‘Rolls Royce’ of security facilities, Guardforce International. “Airlines, freight forwarders, shippers and insurance underwriters are fast recognising the prudence of protecting their goods in our ‘Fort Knox’ facility rather than processing them through the general freight warehouses. They’re clearly aware that prevention is by far the best option,” says sales and marketing manager, Richard Poulton. According to several industry sources, highly sophisticated syndicates continue to operate at the airport. “They are well informed about shipments and know which cargo to target. There’s clearly insider information being disseminated and when one syndicate is cracked, another seems to replace it. They are also well resourced and are prepared to outlay a considerable amount of money in order to make money by selling the goods that they steal,” said Poulton. “For us it’s translated into far greater volumes moving through the facility where our zero pilferage record remains intact.” The company has recently upgraded its camera and surveillance equipment with digital technology in its quest to remain abreast of the latest in the high-tech protection arena. Guardforce’s high-security warehouse for valuable and vulnerable goods offers customers an outsourced option for the handling of a range of cargo. It also offers a heliport and fixed-wing facility which enables helicopters and aircraft to deliver cargo into Guardforce vaults within two and a half minutes of the aircraft landing. Poulton did not discount the possibility of similar facilities being established in other centres and said that at this stage all options were being explored. ‘Acsa needs to emulate commitment by private stakeholders’ SEVERAL SECURITY breaches at airports around the country during the past year have created a wave of concern among stakeholders based at the airport. “Our concern is not only for the safety of our customers’ cargo, but also for the safety of our staff,” says Express Air Services marketing and sales director Neil Harris. Few will dispute that most of the breaches are the work of syndicates, airside and landside. “In our own facilities we have taken all possible precautions – 24-hour security for premises’ access control with cargo X-ray scanning and access control as well as CCTV surveillance at all times. But we need to see similar action and investment on the part of Acsa.” Permits are where it should begin, says Harris. “There are still far too many non-legitimate permits in circulation which makes a mockery of access control measures. And although after-hours access control has been beefed up, it needs to be more conscientiously policed not only for entry but for exit of vehicles as well. “There needs to be more exposure of the SAPS successes so that stakeholders are made aware that cases are not simply piling up on a desk somewhere but that these perpetrators are in fact being brought to book one by one.”
