"Sydney airport security guards subcontracted"

Friday, September 24, 2004

Air security guards subcontracted
By Elisabeth Wynhausen
The Australian


UP to half the private security guards at Sydney's international terminal
work for a little-known company subcontracted by SNP, the large security
firm with the contract to supply guards.

The subcontracted guards do final departure-gate checks on passengers flying
with British Airways, United and Air Canada, and on Qantas to the US. They
also search planes and check the cargo bays. 

Despite a furore 15 months ago, after the CIA linked former Qantas baggage
handler Bilal Khazal to al-Qaeda, the Sydney Airports Corporation is
allowing employees of a company over which it has no control to conduct
passenger checks. 

Though dressed in SNP uniforms, they are employed by All Events Security,
owned by Jordanian-born Moffid Farid Sada. It is known in the industry as
'Frank's Boys'. Many of its employees are young Australian Lebanese. 

Like other guards at the airport, they have been fingerprinted, have passed
a background check and wear an identification tag. But little is known about
the company that gives them their orders. 

The Bankstown-based firm declined to comment, suggesting The Australian
contact SNP, registered as Sydney Night Patrol & Inquiry Co, for a
statement. SNP's general manager Tom Roche, said: 'From time to time there
is a small degree of ad hoc requirements, which could be standing at a
(passenger) gate or in the car park, and this other company is engaged by
SNP to supply those services.' 

However, more than 20 subcontracted guards were at their posts at the
international terminal yesterday morning as details of another security
lapse at the airport emerged.


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