Airport Interdiction: an Overview and Guide
for Law Enforcement Personnel

Overview

Airport interdiction course for law enforcement or military agencies who must protect airports.

Airport interdiction programs are specifically designed for use by law enforcement and military agencies that have the responsibility for impeding and/or eliminating illegal drugs, bombs, terrorism/terrorists or other illegal or harmful items that are or may be transported through or located inside of airports or the surrounding curtilage, including containerized cargo at nearby port facilities.

Purpose

The purpose of this airport interdiction/containerized cargo course is to provide comprehensive information that will enable the learner to identify and intercept the wide spectrum of persons who utilize air transportation or seaports for the purpose of committing crimes and/or concealing illegal cargo. 

Objectives

• Know the types of aircraft and specialized equipment used at most airports
• Be familiar with the indicators/profiles displayed by drug couriers, money launderers, terrorists, human traffickers and other persons committing crimes common at airports
• Understand concealment methods used by criminals
• Be able to use and apply various types of intelligence information
• Recognize the various types of drugs and other types of contraband frequently discovered at airports
• Understand sources of information and the importance of establishing intelligence sources with airline employees such as ticket agents, gate agents and cargo personnel
• Have basic skills in general and specific interview,  interrogation and elicitation techniques
• Know about the use and abuse of drug and bomb dogs, pigs and wasps.
• Understand the basics of bio-terrorism
• Understand the airline ticketing process and ways to abuse the system
• Comprehend pertinent legal issues and model laws as applied to airport interdiction
• Understand asset seizure and financial aspects of airport interdiction
• Know how to establish an airport interdiction team     
• Have basic skills in briefing techniques
• Understand the importance of officer safety
• Understand the importance of assistance and cooperation with and among other units throughout the law enforcement community, to include local, state, provincial, federal and international police agencies
• Understand how to prevent boredom and burn-out
• Be familiar with the various types of containerized cargo at port facilities and concealment methods used by criminals at those venues
• Upon completion of the course, the student will have the basic knowledge required to work interdiction cases at an airport. The student will also have an understanding of the proper procedure and necessary elements to establish and maintain an airport interdiction unit at his or her particular location.