(Trinidad Guardian) Border Force security officers from the United Kingdom are doing spot checks at Piarco Airport and at Arthur NR Robinson Airport on passengers bound for that country as a preventative measure against drug trafficking. T&T Guardian understands that passengers flying economy class are being asked what is the purpose of their visit to the UK and how long they plan to stay. Passengers have complained about being kept standing in the check-in line too long as a result.
The UK High Commission confirmed on Monday that the operation was “part of an ongoing exercise. UK Border Force officials are working with T&T customs officials on a number of flights from Piarco International Airport. This is not limited to economy class,” the commission said in e-mailed responses.
The exercise, which began in September, is a joint one with T&T Police Service and is also “complementing and continuing the work carried out by OCNFB (Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau),” it said.
The High Commission has denied that T&T was singled out for the operation, only saying that the exercise is being done in the Caribbean region and that “T&T is one of a number of locations in the Eastern Caribbean where these exercises are carried out to stem the flow of narcotics, including cocaine, to the UK and Europe.” Operations of this nature are also being done routinely at UK airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, the High Commission said.
Asked how many security officers were working in T&T, the High Commission said it could not divulge that information for “operational reasons.” The High Commission has told visitors to the UK that “this is a routine activity which, in T&T, has been led by OCNFB. This collaborative effort is aimed at tackling organised crime, particularly the trafficking of narcotics, whilst bringing as little disruption to passengers as possible.”
