Heathrow Is Scene Of Heist - Again

Armed robbers stole more than $3 million from a van at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, the second major theft since Sept. 11 despite heavy security measures imposed after the terrorist attacks.

Government ministers demanded an urgent report from the airport operator BAA PLC, which is responsible for stopping unauthorized personnel getting into restricted zones.

The robbers entered a restricted area where airplanes are parked early Tuesday and confronted the driver of an armored van at knifepoint just after the $3.2 million cash was unloaded from a South African Airways jet, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

He said two men, believed to be in their 20s, forced the driver to take them to Cranford, about two miles from the airport, and then unloaded the cash and drove off in another vehicle.

The driver, who was not hurt, called police just before 7:30 a.m., said the police spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The airport companies involved and BAA are offering every assistance to the police in urgently investigating the theft," a spokesman for BAA said on customary terms of anonymity.

Transport Secretary Stephen Byers and Home Secretary David Blunkett had already demanded a report following a similar early morning robbery Feb. 11 when two men robbed a van of $6.5 million at Heathrow.

Shortly before the second robbery, police arrested a man in connection with the first, but later released him without taking further action, Scotland Yard said.

At Heathrow there are hundreds of private companies whose employees, many of them temporary, have genuine passes and can therefore gain access legitimately to sensitive areas.

Suspicions have been raised that both robberies were "inside jobs" in which raiders got jobs with on-site companies.

Detectives have not ruled out links between the crimes, but they are also considering that the second raid could have been a copycat crime.

South African Airways said the cargo was being transported on their behalf by ADI Securicor, and said the company had handled its cargo for five years without incident.

"Access to an airport restricted zone where this robbery took place should be strictly controlled," said a spokesman for the Department of Transport, which sets the standards that airports have to meet on aviation security.

"How robbers gained access will be an issue that the police will be investigating," he said with customary anonymity. "BAA is responsible for implementing the security standards at Heathrow, and are currently working closely with the police.

Member of Parliament John McDonnell, whose constituency includes Heathrow, called for more thorough checks on airport employees.

There should be restrictions on private companies working on and around the airport to ensure that only those that check staff properly were allowed near the sensitive areas, he said.

"We know BAA has been working hard on security since Sept. 11 and a lot of that has been very successful," he said.

"But there are numerous other firms operating round Heathrow that don't have rigorous security measures in place, don't do adequate checking and are still gaining access to the airport and putting people at risk."