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Beware at OR Tambo International AirportDate Posted: Saturday 15-Mar-2008By Kashiefa Ajam and Sheree Béga
In spite of South African authorities' resolute insistence that crime syndicates are not operating at OR Tambo International Airport, at least four countries are warning their citizens travelling to this country to be vigilant of gangs who may follow them and rob them.
The SA Police Service and airport authorities say, however, the low value of items stolen - often laptops, luggage, cellphones and foreign currency - does not indicate organised criminal syndicate involvement.
The countries that have issued travel warnings are the US, Kenya, Australia and New Zealand - with the US issuing its alert for the second time in six months.
| 'if you look rich, they hit you' |
"Travellers should be vigilant at all times, especially at bus stations, airports, OR Tambo International Airport, as organised gangs are known to operate there," read a travel advisory from New Zealand government posted on its website in December.
The Australian department of foreign affairs and Trade's travel advisory, dated Friday, reads: "Criminals operate out of the airport in Joburg, following some overseas visitors to their homes or hotels and robbing them. We advise against accepting unsolicited assistance with transport when arriving at [OR Tambo]."
Makutano, an organisation that helps Kenyans living in southern Africa, issued a travel alert in November to its citizens. "Suspects are believed to be working in groups of three to five men, carefully selecting their victims, targeting only those carrying expensive electronic equipment, or appearing to have large amounts of money … The individuals are armed and dangerous and their modus operandi is to follow the person/s to their home and rob them."
In July last year, the US State department warned its citizens to be on "heightened alert" when travelling through OR Tambo and be "aware of any criminal surveillance in the airport including the possibility of being followed over long distances".
In its December advisory, it stated: "Visitors and residents are advised of ongoing criminal activity involving organised crime gangs targeting individuals at shopping centres and, in particular, at the OR Tambo International. These gangs tend to target 'affluent' individuals, including people driving expensive cars, wearing eye-catching jewellery, flashing … cash, and/or making high-value purchases.
"Criminals also gravitate towards 'soft' targets - people who appear preoccupied and not paying attention to their immediate surroundings. Tourists are being targeted in a similar fashion at the airport."
It suggested airport personnel may be involved, "apparently tipping off criminals waiting outside the airport" once valuables and cash have been declared.
But Adrian Lackay, the spokesperson for the Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee (BCOCC), a joint working group of the SA Police Service, SA Revenue Service (Sars) and the Airports Company South Africa, responded: "These alerts are based on media coverage and the premature conclusion by the media that syndicates exist at the airport."
He said meetings had been held with the diplomatic community and the countries that had issued the travel alerts. "We've asked them for evidence to substantiate their claims. But they haven't been forthcoming," Lackay stated.
The BCOCC this week clamped down on any suggestions syndicates could be operating at the airport, describing the spate of robberies over the past three years at least as "random" and "opportunistic".
Its investigations found Customs officials were not cooperating with criminals by distributing information or identifying international travellers as potential victims for criminal attacks.
In just three days this week, 14 victims of airport robberies sent enraged messages to The Star's SMS line decrying the denials. But the BCOCC said as well as stepping up patrols in the vicinity of the airport, as a "further precautionary" measure, Customs had redesigned its declaration form to exclude the address field passengers must complete when entering SA. Lackay said this would come into effect this week.
Responding to this, a senior tourism official said: "The police are saying there are no syndicates. But why then do they remove the addresses from the Customs forms? These criminals don't need your address anyway. They have spotters at the airport, and if you look rich, they hit you."
SA tourism numbers swelled to nine-million last year, surpassing the global average. Tourism officials pointed out this week that crime could have a "potentially detrimental" effect on tourism.
Michael Tatalias, chief executive of the Southern African Tourism Services Association, said the number of tourist crime victims was "infinitesimally small" when compared to the total number of visitors to SA.
"What worries us is when that infinitesimally small number changes. Overseas, they are aware of issues in our country. Long gone are the days when we could try to pretend there weren't issues in SA. We're getting nine-million visitors despite these reservations. Of course, we could be getting exponentially more."
Meanwhile, the African Christian Democratic Party called on the Scorpions to investigate the existence of a crime syndicate operating at the airport.
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