'Air guns' fire safety-bullets
2003-12-31 11:29
Canberra - Australia's covert sky marshals have been armed with modified bullets designed to break up without piercing an aircraft wall or cause serious injury to passengers, government sources said Wednesday.
The marshals, called Air Security Officers, have been operating on domestic routes for two years and last week began operations on Qantas flights between Australia and Singapore.
Talks are also under way to post air marshals on flights to the United States.
The expanded air marshal programme is part of broad security upgrades at airports around the country that were first posted in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Extra security officers have also been stationed at airports and the government and the leading national science development agency are testing neutron-scanning technology which can detect explosive substances and drugs.
- SAPA