I didn't realise that my post would have people reaching for the tinfoil...
No one is suggesting a global information exchange, Interpol involvement, Skynet or anything along those lines although with that said APIS is very much alive & well. The fact is that certain flights, from certain countries at certain times of day will always be targeted for various different things, things that I'm not going to go into so you'll just have to use your [vivid] imaginations.
If I worked for Border Force, and I do mean if, and I wanted a "quick win" I would approach the likes of Watches of Switzerland at T5 requesting information gleaned from the boarding passes of passengers with return tickets to the UK travelling to non-UE countries who had made a purchase. I'm not suggesting that this is what is going on or how such an operation would be sustainable in the long term, but it's what I'd do.
The stupid thing is that irregularly seizing heroin probably doesn't bring in half as much revenue as regularly seizing things like the alcohol, cigarettes from regular holidaymakers walking off of bucket & spade flights...Originally Posted by verv
Reply With Quote