Airports As the Battleground Gangs; They Cause Chaos Worldwide
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Gangs: airports as the battleground Gangs; they cause chaos worldwide. Their activities range from petty crime and disruption to high profile criminal activities. Transnational gangs are the ultimate entrepreneurs, relentless in conducting their business and harder to control the more lucrative and powerful they become. They fill the gap in the global supply of illegal goods and services, operating a parallel economy, which does not abide by national or international laws and regulations but by their own customs, and ones which can adapt and change rapidly. Those who run and coordinate high- profile gang activities constantly push to stay one step ahead of the law and employ a plethora of approaches to conducting their enterprises and preventing recognisable patterns in their activities. These groups pose a great challenge for the airports that become their targets or the grounds upon which they carry out their business. But, how do gangs use airports, what can be learnt from their activities at airports over the last few years and what should our takeaways be regarding how these diverse groups are dealt with? Lucy Rawlings explores. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Sun Tzu, The Art of War n trying to better understand the challenges they pose, there is a gangster Antoine Quilichini, also known our enemy, it does not help that need to consider the many ways in as 'Tony the Butcher', at Bastia Airport Ithere is no universal definition of which airports become the sites for in December 2017. Quilichini had been a 'gang' and, to make matters worse, their endeavours. convicted in 2016 of conspiring to these organised criminals often fight murder a cousin of the Corsican mafia to ensure that they do not conform GANG-ON-GANG VIOLENCE boss, Jean-Baptiste Jerome Colonna, to many aspects of these varying in 2016. It was believed Quilichini's definitions, meaning they are less In March 2009, a Hells Angels murder was in retaliation. likely to be identified. It is, however, Motorcycle Club associate, Anthony in common agreement that gangs Zervas, 29, was killed during a huge "...on 14 January, a Turkish are a 'group of persons working to brawl with the Comancheros, a rival unlawful or antisocial ends' and whose club, at Sydney Airport's domestic Airlines crew became the members collectively identify with terminal, one of Australia's most target of an attack while one another and meet on a recurring monitored and secure public spaces. basis – although physical meetings The confrontation between the gangs their shuttle bus was are becoming less frequent with was said to have occurred following an waiting at the traffic lights in technological advancements and the encounter between the Comancheros' use of encrypted messenger services. leader and a Hells Angels boss on Johannesburg..." As gangs evolve and adapt to ensure a flight from Melbourne. In the their longevity and profitability, the subsequent court case it was reported ways in which airports deal with them that there had been a flurry of messages GANGS TARGETING THE AIRPORT must also evolve, and coordination and and phone calls from the leaders to AND PASSENGERS information sharing between aviation other associates as soon as the plane security, law enforcement agencies had landed. The tensions between the Johannesburg’s OR Tambo and government intelligence services Angels and Comancheros at this time International Airport suffers from is vital. But not all gangs consist of was high following the bombing of recurring spates of airport robberies high-profile, organised criminals, and one of the Angels' clubhouses earlier orchestrated by gangs targeting airports and everyday travellers are not in the month. people leaving the airport. In the always the intended targets. To better It was tit-for-tat gang violence that past, robbers have frequently used understand how to manage gangs and also led to the shooting of Corsican blue lights and shown fake police 20 February/March 2019 Aviation Security International "...tit-for-tat gang violence also led to the shooting of Corsican gangster Antoine Quilichini, also known as 'Tony the Butcher', at Bastia Airport in December 2017..." identification in order to pull over cars they followed leaving the airport. Victims were then intimidated and stripped of their possessions. During 2013, over 200 cases were reported, decreasing to about five per month following the involvement of the Antoine Quilichini, aka 'Tony the Butcher', was killed at a Bastia Airport in Corsica in 2017 National Investigating Unit. The unit, in conjunction with airport and local police, intensified their intelligence groups are taking up these activities of goods passing through Viracopos gathering and began to profile all the time as they are perceived to be Airport has increased – raising its suspects and their vehicles, enabling fairly low risk. The move to attacking profile as a target. A major heist them to make more arrests and people at home has also followed occurred in 2018 when five armed providing a deterrent for these gangs. from the police crackdown on cash-in- gang members drove vehicles painted Since the start of 2019, however, transit heists. to resemble airport security pick- there has been an upsurge in these Viracopos International Airport in up trucks onto the tarmac, parking kinds of attacks, now with victims São Paulo is frequently the target of next to a Lufthansa plane from which frequently being followed home where robberies, muggings, carjackings and employees were transferring bags gang members are able to retrieve kidnappings carried out by gangs. of cash into an armoured vehicle. even more bounty. On 14 January, The highway that leads to the airport Following a swift looting, the gang a Turkish Airlines crew became the is notorious for crime as gangs target made away with approximately US target of an attack while their shuttle vehicles transporting merchandise $5,000,000 (c.£3,500,000). No arrests bus was waiting at the traffic lights and, in 2017, 10,500 such freight thefts were made following this and the in Johannesburg, and other victims were recorded across São Paulo. In complexity of the heist demonstrates were followed home in various attacks recent years, many companies have, the ability of organised criminals to throughout the month. These kinds of as a result, chosen to send shipments carefully plan and coordinate high- attack are a gang favourite and new via plane, and the volume and value profile attacks. Rebels bikies were removed from a Qantas flight bound for Melbourne from Hobart in 2017 February/March 2019 Aviation Security International EUR +44 (0)20 3892 3050 USA +1 920 214 0140 www.asi-mag.com 21 “…two members of the Rebels, the pair were not violent and no one ensuring that background checks are an Australian motorcycle was harmed, but could this have been conducted into all employees, that all a different case had the crew not acted employees undergo security screening gang, were removed from to remove them? before and after shifts, and that staff a Qantas flight bound for working across the airport are trained THE INSIDER THREAT to be vigilant and observant of each Melbourne from Hobart…” other’s behaviours, and any concerns The insider threat has gained a huge are reported. USING AIRPORTS FOR amount of attention in recent years and One example of gang activities DRUG TRAFFICKING gangs have used insiders working in a within a contracted baggage company variety of positions across the airport hit the news in the USA when an Drug seizures at airports are unending to gain information and access. Insiders Alaskan Airlines jet suffered from and the high volumes of various drugs in operating X-ray machines have allowed decompression during flight. Upon circulation in regions which don't even bags containing various contraband to landing, investigators discovered produce or grow them is a testament pass through; baggage handlers have that a luggage loading conveyor belt to the ingenuity of transnational drug willingly loaded bags filled with drugs had been driven into the side of the smuggling gangs. With drug smuggling onto aircraft; and catering staff have plane next to the cargo doors and being so lucrative, gangs become delivered trolleys with illicit contents the baggage hold was covered in protective of their 'patch' or routes and to aircraft. The list goes on and the graffiti affiliated with both the Crips when rivals try to compete, violence fact is that any insider has the ability to and Bloods – two notorious rival becomes the natural option. compromise the security of the airport. gangs. It was later determined that In July 2014, two people were killed Thirteen members of a trafficking gang the airline had recently replaced its and six injured in a drive-by shooting were sentenced in London in April 2018 professional baggage handlers, who at Curaçao International Airport. for their roles in smuggling £16,000,000 were employees of the airline, for a The shooting was connected with an worth of drugs, predominantly cocaine less expensive contractor. According ongoing war between rival drug gangs and marijuana, into Heathrow Airport. to other airline employees, many of as Curaçao is a key drug trafficking Two of the men involved worked at the newly contracted staff looked, export point for narcotics bound for the airport as baggage handlers where spoke and acted in ways associated Europe from South America. One they moved suitcases flown from Brazil with the gangs. This begs the of the men killed, Jais Juliana, was onto carousels for UK domestic arrivals question, who ran background checks the boss of a criminal gang and where other members of the gang on these individuals and who was smuggling ring.