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THE Obama administration has moved to strengthen air cargo security by demanding new inspections on US bound shipments deemed "high risk" on air cargo flights after banning large toner and ink cartridges on board passenger aircraft.
The clampdown is aimed at preventing a repeat of cargo bombs in which printer cartridges packed with explosives were flown from Yemen by express mail companies, "with the intent of blowing up planes headed to the United States," reports the New York Times.
"Homeland Security officials made clear that more changes were imminent, including most likely a demand that airlines and cargo companies provide detailed advance cargo manifests before cargo planes take off for the United States," the report said.
It added that the officials said they would demand airlines and cargo companies globally to improve screening equipment, investing in devices now used for passengers to improve chances of finding any hidden bombs.
The ban on large toner and ink cartridges, which has also been adopted in Canada, applies to cartridges that weigh at least one pound, typically cartridges for office printers and photocopy machines. The ban affects checked baggage and carry-on luggage, and will be in place on certain all-cargo flights, it said.
Airlines or cargo companies that want to put packages onto US-bound flights must inspect the item, either by visually checking it or using a scanning device like an X-ray machine, according to US Homeland Security officials cited in the report.
"They would not define what would make a package high risk, but industry officials said the directives included certain shipments from countries where terrorists were known to operate or deliveries from an unknown shipper, like an individual who dropped it off in person at an express mail office," the report said.
All air cargo shipments from Yemen to the US will continue to be banned, and Somalia has been added to the list, owing to fears of terror groups operating there.
(Source:www.schednet.com)
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