The next time you plan to fly in or out of Australia, it’s advisable to arrive at the country’s airports earlier than you usually would. This is especially true at Melbourne and Sydney airports. Reason – Tony Abbott administration has agreed on Friday in joining US-led military coalition bombing mission targeting ISIS in Iraq. Australia’s latest contribution involves six F/A-18F Super Hornet jets.

The latest decision was approved by Australia’s National Security Committee following an official request from the Iraqi Government overnight, despite a poll of almost 7,000 Australians that shows only 49% backed the air strikes while 42% against it. What this means is the already problematic domestic counter-terrorism will only get worse, considering its authorities intercepted a whopping 11 suspected terrorists at both airports in less than a month.

Here’re a summary of the cases uncovered as compiled by Herald Sun:

• 1 suspect’s luggage was deemed “inconsistent with his stated planned travel movements’’, and he missed his flight after he was searched.
• 6 people were caught with violent or objectionable material. Of them, two were issued with infringement notices and three had their electronic devices seized.
• 1 man was refused entry to Australia after arriving on a flight to Melbourne from Malaysia and found to have “visa inconsistencies’’.
• 3 of the suspects copped infringement notices.
• Others were caught committing visa and passport fraud.

As efforts intensify to stop Australians leaving the country to join terror groups overseas, passengers is expected to face inconvenience “from time to time”. Australian Customs officers has also been changed from “facilitation” as priority to “security” as a priority. What this means is – on occasions flights is held, people will have to be unloaded and baggage will have to be taken off the aeroplane.

Although this will surely inconvenience some passengers from time to time, the Australian simply couldn’t take any risk considering the brutality of ISIS and the impact of terrorist attacks on Australian soil. Hence, in the name of national security, your flight could be cancelled or delayed should there bea single passenger suspected of terrorism. The threat of terrorism was so urgent that CTU units are operating at Sydney and Melbourne now.

 

But the Australian CTU (counter-terrorism-unit) wasn’t activated until in late August less than nine months after Sydney man Khaled Sharrouf escaped Sydney Airport (in December 2013) on his brother’s passport to fight for Islamic State in Syria. Sharrouf caused international outrage by making his seven-year-old Australian-raised son, with him in Syria, pose for photographs holding a severed head.

Prime Minister Abbott had told parliament that as part of the government’s $630 million ­security package, an additional 80 CTU officers are stationed at international airports to monitor the movements of people. In addition to the 11 main intercepted suspects, a further 6 people were stopped and searched by authorities, missing their flights, between August 9 and September 1 at Sydney and Melbourne airports.

Beside being a flight delayed or cancelled victim due to Islamic fanatics like Khaled Sharrouf on the same flight as yours, ISIS supporters who carry more than $10,000 undeclared currencies could be equally deadly, simply because you would still miss your flights and in the process your urgent business meetings overseas. Just like the chaos created by terrorists post 9/11, air travellers will have to well prepared – again.

 

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• Meet Major Mariam, The First UAE Female Top Gun Who’s Bombing ISIS
• Quick, Get A Job At Virgin – Boss Branson Says You Can Take Unlimited Holidays
• Beware – Qantas $1,500 Holiday Voucher “Scam” For Greedy Facebook Users
• Jobless And Need One Urgently? Go To Australia Now – The Land Of Jobs
• Here’re 20 Dirty Secrets The Airlines Don’t Want You To Know
• Secret Revealed – The Secret Chambers Where Pilot & Cabin Crew Rest & Sleep (Photos)

Tweet

October 6th, 2014 by financetwitter

If you enjoyed this post, what shall you do next? Consider: