A 32-year-old man is scheduled to appear before the Adelaide Magistrates Court today (10 June 2022) charged with leaving articles of baggage unattended at the airport.
AFP aviation officers arrested the man twice in two days at Adelaide Airport over the ANZAC day long weekend this year and charged him with leaving unattended baggage, contrary to regulation 9.01 of the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005.
On Saturday 23 April 2022, the AFP was called to a security screening area where the man was being detained for allegedly not complying with directions and entering a sterile area of the airport.
The man was taken into custody and given a caution before being released.
The next day (Sunday 24 April 2022), the man returned to Adelaide Airport in a taxi. He allegedly got out of the taxi with a suitcase, which he left near the terminal before getting into another taxi and leaving the airport.
AFP Rapid Appraisal Officers assessed and searched the suitcase and identified that it belonged to the man.
Later that day, the man returned to the airport and was arrested by AFP officers for leaving the suitcase unattended.
AFP Detective Superintendent Gavin Stone said there was no excuse for this type of behaviour.
“Bad behaviour on aircraft or at airports is not only disrespectful, it can put the safety of other people at risk,” he said. “The AFP and our aviation partners have no tolerance for antisocial or dangerous behaviour and we will take action if people do not comply with legislation or other lawful requirements.”
The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of 50 penalty units ($10,500.00).
