LONDON: A massive criminal conspiracy that allows hundreds of passengers to board flights illegally at London’s Heathrow airport has prompted calls for an urgent review of security at British ports and airports.

Corrupt security guards employed by airlines are being bribed to allow asylum seekers, criminals and even terrorist suspects to pass through checkpoints unchallenged, making a mockery of measures introduced in response to the 11 September terror attacks.

A 10-month investigation by the newly formed Human Smuggling Unit has uncovered evidence of a “highly sophisticated and global” operation that has helped migrants from Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Pakistan and Lebanon to travel to the US and Canada via Britain. Although the loophole was first uncovered at Heathrow, officers say the problem is not confined to one airport or airline and is part of a multi-million pound business.

The revelation has alarmed safety campaigners and politicians who say urgent action is needed.

The scam begins when members of the gang with valid tickets and passports, as well as luggage, present themselves to the check-in desk. These “bogus” passengers have no intention of travelling but receive a small fee in return for obtaining a genuine boarding card. This is then passed on to the illegal immigrant. Under present policy, passengers only need to show security a boarding card when they pass from check-in to the departure lounge. Passports are not checked.

Once they have passed into departures and made their way to the gate for their flight, private security guards employed by airlines are supposed to check passports and boarding passes to ensure the person who checked in is the same person presenting themselves at the gate. It is these guards, according to detectives, who have been receiving bribes of up to US dollars 6,000 to allow passengers to pass through unchecked.

“Not all illegal immigrants who arrive in the UK intend to stay here,” says Detective Sergeant Simon Griffith of the Human Smuggling Unit, set up to combat the problem. “Many of them are in transit to other countries. Canada is popular because it has a very generous social-welfare policy and a good record on human rights. These individuals will pay up to US dollars 30,000 for their journey and a small part of that money will be used to pay corrupt guards at Heathrow and other airports.”

The problem first came to light after Air Canada alerted police to the large number of passengers arriving on flights from Heathrow with no proper documentation.

Earlier this month three guards employed by Initial Aviation Services, which handles security for Air Canada flights, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud after they were caught accepting payments, but the trio represent the tip of the iceberg.

“Because of the sums of money involved, the people are not going to stop. This is still going on and it is a problem for the entire aviation industry,” said Detective Inspector Mark Pepper.

One of the guards involved, 38-year-old Anthony Krieger, earned just US dollars 12,000 a year as a supervisor but was found to have spent US dollars 10,000 on antique furniture for his home and thousands more to install marble flooring. He also owned two BMWs, a Volvo and a Jeep Cherokee.

According to Krieger, he was invited to join the scheme after complaining to a co-worker about money problems. “I was pouring my guts out about my financial situation when I was told that I could earn big money by doing the opposite of what I had been trained to do,” he told Isleworth Crown Court last week.

The guards would get a call up to a week in advance telling them which passengers to look out for. Although up to four guards worked each gate, only one corrupt officer needed to be on duty for the scheme to work. The illegal traveller would be told to make sure they presented their documents to the guard “with a beard or the one not wearing a jacket”.

Once on board the aircraft, the travellers were told to destroy all documentation showing they had travelled from Heathrow to prevent suspicion falling on the airport.

Krieger admitted allowing two to three immigrants through during each four-day shift cycle. Police believe he may have been responsible for at least 250 illegal travellers. “And this was just one man,” says DI Pepper. “There were others involved at other airlines working on a similar scale and the problem continues to this day.”

Krieger pleaded guilty to corruption charges along with another supervisor, Faiz Alam Rehman, 28, and Pritesh Vaja, a 22- year-old security agent. All three refused to implicate others.

Police have submitted evidence of the loophole to Sir John Wheeler, former Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office, who is conducting a review of security at British airports, but politicians are calling for a new security force.

“It is no good having more draconian limitations on the rights of people to come here if there is a very easy loophole which can be exploited,” said Simon Hughes, the opposition Liberal Democrat spokesman on home affairs. “The main focus for security has to be ports and airports. The Home Affairs Select committee has recommended the introduction of a single border force to control these sensitive areas and it is high time this happened.”—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.