Prague - A person carrying a realistic model of a bomb entered the Prague Ruzyně Airport, including high-security employees-only parts of the airport where already screened international shipments are prepared to be loaded on planes.
This huge security breach took place only a few days before the 10th anniversary of the 11/9 attacks in the USA, amid preventive anti-terrorist security measures being adopted all over the world.
In spite of this, the device was carried into the employees-only parts of the Prague airport without any attention from security personnel supposed to protect the facility.
The device - a mobile phone modified into a fake bomb - was carried to the airport by a person sent by Aktualne.cz, a Czech on-line daily.
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"The device went through all security measures people working at the airport are subjected to. Nobody noticed anything," said the person to Aktualne.cz.
The person with the device spent more than 10 hours in the cargo area where cargo already screened by X-ray scanners is stored. "I even entered the runway area," the person added.
In addition, the same person has been able to smuggle into the cargo area of the airport objects such as 15-cm (6-inch) knife or pepper spray in the last weeks.
The person recently became an employee of the security agency protecting the cargo area of the airport. Neither the state authorities nor his future employers checked his true identity - all that was needed was to have no criminal record. As a security agency employee, they were allowed to enter parts of the airport with the highest security level.
"When coming for my shift, nobody controlled me, nobody even checked what I was carrying in my bag. They controlled me only when I came for the first time. Once they knew my face, nobody paid me any attention," the person said.
Interior Minister Kubice and Transport Minister Pavel Dobeš reacted immediately by increasing security measures in the mentioned parts of the Prague airport. On the same day, the personnel of police and private security at the airport was reinforced.
Interior Minister Jan Kubice did not try to hide his horror. "Honestly, I am in shock," he said to Aktualne.cz, adding that "the information about what happened (at the airport) is very serious" and the airport security needs "an immediate change".
