Management of OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) says that the implementation of the integrated multi-disciplinary tactical security plan announced on July 21 is progressing well and showing some encouraging early results.
A number of suspects have been arrested at the airport in the last two weeks in connection with interceptions of drug and rhino horn shipments as well as vehicle theft.
"OR Tambo International Airport commends all the law enforcement agencies concerned and looks forward to sustained success in combating crime in and around the airport,” says Leigh Gunkel-Keuler, spokesperson for Ortia.
“OR Tambo International Airport is in many ways like a small city. We have more than 21 million passengers landing or departing every year. It takes more than 35 000 people working at the airport for different service providers and stakeholders to keep things running smoothly,” says Gunkel-Keuler.
She explains that only 1 200 of these are directly employed by the airport with the rest spread across retail, public transport, airlines, ground handling, vehicle rental, financial services, hospitality, hotels and government agencies.
"Security operations can therefore be complicated at times. However, we continue to intensify a variety of security measures that include background checks and interviews of people working at the airport. Over time, these checks will be conducted repeatedly on each person and at short notice on a schedule that is not easy to anticipate," says Gunkel-Keuler.
Daily interactions at operational level among a large number of agencies and people is benefiting from strong ministerial involvement and support, says Gunkel-Keuler. “Airport management anticipates further successes as additional elements of the crime strategy are implemented in the coming months,” she adds
