Airport security staff held over human trafficking operation
- Published in Soualiga Newsday Focus
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An Austrian Airport Terminal (file photo) (Copyright Anton_Ivanov Shutterstock)
AIR TRAVEL - Police in Austria are holding two members of airport security staff over an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants into Britain through Vienna airport.
Two members of Vienna airport security staff are being held on suspicion of allowing passengers without visas or proper travel documents onto flights to the UK and US.
A further 11 security staff members are being questioned.
The suspects - a Sri Lankan and Polish citizen - are believed to be employees of more than one private security company, working in different parts of the departure process.
Friedrich Köhl, a spokesman for the local prosecutor’s office, told the Telegraph: "The suspicion is that they allowed an unknown number of foreigners to travel abroad from Austria illegally."
But he added that the smuggling was carried out by the employees, and none of the companies involved are suspected of any wrongdoing.
Most of the illegal immigrants involved were Sri Lankan.
According to unconfirmed Austrian press reports, the smugglers charged between €7,000 and €9,000 per head to get illegal migrants through airport security.
The British company G4S confirmed that one of those being held in custody is a former employee.
"I can confirm that in compliance with Austrian labour law, an employee responsible for checking visa documentation at Vienna Airport on a contract with Austrian Airlines was dismissed in March following his arrest," Graham Levinsohn, G4S' regional chief executive for Europe said. (TravelMole)