BOTCHED SECURITY EXERCISE AT PIERRE ELLIOTT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTREAL 000691

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2014
TAGS: EAIR ASEC CASC CA
SUBJECT: BOTCHED SECURITY EXERCISE AT PIERRE ELLIOTT
TRUDEAU (PET) INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

REF: A) MONTREAL 233 B) MONTREAL 252

Classified By: PRINCIPAL OFFICER BERNADETTE M. ALLEN, REASONS 1.5(B)
AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. Media reports of a botched security exercise
at PET International Airport prompted post's Principal
Officer (PO) to contact Aeroport de Montreal Corporation
(ADM) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James
Cherry and the Department of Homeland Security Pre-Inspection
Facility Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for details on the incident.
CEO Cherry called the incident, the planting of TNT in a
passenger's luggage, an embarrassing mistake. DHS OIC
provided more insight on how the mistake occurred. End
summary.


2. (U) Several newspapers reported that security officials at
PET (formerly known as Dorval) Airport conducted a routine
security exercise on the night of Friday, May 7, 2004, that
later proved an embarrassment to the ADM. Explosives (TNT in
a mason jar) which were to be planted in ADM test luggage
and, subsequently were to be detected by a canine, instead
mistakenly landed in a passenger's personal luggage. The
routine canine exercises reportedly are conducted daily,
using ADM's own luggage or suitcases that have long gone
unclaimed.


3. (U) The traveller discovered the TNT in his bag upon
arrival at his home in a suburb of Montreal, after he went to
remove his toothbrush from his luggage. He found the mason
jar with markings "explosives" and immediatelly contacted the
Surete de Quebec (local law enforcement). The SQ evacuated
the homes in the area and removed the TNT, which ADM and
local law enforcement reported lacked a detonator and
elements to cause an explosion.


4. (C) ADM CEO Cherry informed PO that the ADM agent who
planted the material has been severely reprimanded and he
added, possibly may even be fired for the mistake.



5. (D) DHS OIC informed PO that at the airport debrief, DHS
inspectors were informed that the ADM agent had placed the
TNT in a bag in the lost and found department. Reportedly,
within a five-minute, at which time the agent left the bag
unattended, the traveller just happened to pass through Lost
and Found to retrieve his bag. Consequently, the canine
never had a chance to sniff out the test jar.


6. (C) PO asked CEO Cherry whether this incident and two
others in February (see reftels) raise security concerns at
PET airport. Cherry was quick to say "no" and emphasized
that reftel incidents were completely unrelated to the ADM
exercise. He mentioned that the Canadian Air Transport
Safety Authority (CATSA) was solely responsible for the
February incidents. (Note: DHS reported on an aiport
baggage handler's hiring on April 22, 2004, and the same
employee's firing the very next day (April 23, 2004),for his
website: www.theforum.com/showthread.php?t=3414, that states,
"Guess who's now able to bomb your airplane" and "Dats right!
Got a nice side job airport security/runway crew. He had
also scanned his airport ID on the website. End note.)

ALLEN