The Australian Federal Police have apologised for leaving 230 grams of plastic explosive in a suitcase at Sydney Airport after a canine training exercise.The suitcase containing the explosive was given to a woman as a replacement suitcase after hers was damaged while passing through the airport.The woman took the suitcase to Cessnock Police Station after discovering the explosives.The Australian Federal Police issued a statement apologising for the incident.The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has apologised for leaving a training device in a suitcase at Sydney Airport after a canine training exercise on 14 August 2014, the statement read. The training device contained approximately 230g of a plastic explosive which had been hidden in an unclaimed suitcase during a routine canine exercise. The device was not live.It was discovered on Tuesday (9 September) afternoon when a woman travelling through Sydney Airport was offered a replacement suitcase after her own bag was damaged during her flight. After discovering the device, the woman immediately took it to the Cessnock Police Station, where officers temporarily evacuated the building as a safety precaution.AFP Sydney Airport Commander Wayne Buchhorn has apologised to the travelling public and all those involved.See your ad here“The AFP takes this error seriously and the canine instructor who inadvertently left this device behind has been identified and will be the subject of a formal Professional Standards Investigation,” Commander Buchhorn said.“Although the travelling public was not in danger at any time, we regularly review our processes in this area, and we will do again in the light of this incident.“This type of training is essential for our canine teams, allowing the dogs to experience potential threats in a real environment.“On behalf of the AFP, I would like to thank the woman, her family and New South Wales Police, especially officers at Cessnock Police Station, for their assistance in this matter.”AFP canines are trained to detect currency, drug and explosive odours. They play an integral role in aviation security and support broader AFP investigations, helping to keep the Australian public safe.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 08:23:13 +0000
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