[Peetwo]

Another potentially outrageous ASA issue under investigation.....more shame for Sir An(g)us and Harfwit?

Crystal methamphetamine found at Brisbane Airport Air Traffic Service Centre, AFP investigating
By the National Reporting Team's Benjamin Sveen
Updated about 7 hours agoWed 2 Nov 2016, 6:49am

Photo: The AFP said the drugs find was reported at Brisbane Airport on October 4. (AAP: Dave Hunt)

Related Story: Air traffic safety fears raised over plans to axe 900 jobs


The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is investigating the discovery of crystal methamphetamine in a thoroughfare used by air traffic controllers at Brisbane Airport.

Key points:

• Ice found in air traffic controllers building
  
• AFP confirms probe under way
  
• Source claims Airservices Australia not conducting its own proper investigation
  

The ABC understands an Airservices Australia employee found a small quantity of the illicit drug in a secured area at Brisbane's Air Traffic Service Centre last month.

Airservices Australia is the Government-owned organisation responsible for managing aviation traffic at Australian airports.

Confirmation of the incident came after questions from the ABC on Tuesday morning about whether a bag of ice had been discovered in the centre.

The agency responded: "The AFP can confirm it received a referral in relation to this incident on 04 October 2016."

But a spokeswoman added that as the matter was currently under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

The matter came to light after an anonymous source, claiming to be a current Airservices employee, contacted the ABC to express frustration that not enough was being done by senior management to investigate the issue.

The source claimed the bag was found in a stairwell of the centre's foyer.

'All they have done is issue a memo'


"An employee who didn't understand what they had found … handed in the bag to the Brisbane security desk," the source said.

"Further investigation of the substance within the bag confirmed that what had in fact been found was a bag of ice.

"I am scared as an employee to know that we have ATCs who potentially work for us who are putting the lives of the travelling Australian public in direct danger.

"All they have done so far is issue a memo."

On Tuesday afternoon, Airservices confirmed that a drugs and alcohol management policy document was distributed to all affected staff.

While the AFP has confirmed they are investigating, the ABC has so far been unable to verify all the allegations made by the anonymous source.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia are responsible for drug and alcohol tests of personnel engaged in safety sensitive aviation activities.
Airservices Australia are in the process of cutting 900 jobs from the organisation under a radical restructure of the organisation.

More than 500 jobs have already been made redundant.

Dozens of employees have approached the ABC expressing concern about aviation safety since the impact of the job cuts was reported last Sunday.

Wow. It's a good thing they dealt with it by sending out a wet lettuce leaf memo. FFS, it really is time for the CEO and Board Chair to be frog marched out of the building.


TICK what's next? TOCK