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A staff member from the Aviation Security Services planted a fake bomb containing cables, a cylinder, batteries, a cell phone and a cryptic note to raise security concerns at Dunedin airport, a court has heard.
Preetam Prakash Maid was arrested and charged with bringing a copycat explosive device to a reinforced security area several months later.
Maid, 32, is on trial before Judge Michael Crosbie in Dunedin District Court.
Crown attorney Robin Bates told jury that the device was placed on the north side of the airport on March 17, 2019, just two days after the Christchurch terror attack.
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Part of Maid’s role was to conduct perimeter checks. He told a supervisor that he wanted to check an object seen near a cabin.
He took a photo of what appeared to be a black bag near the entrance to the cabin. A further inspection treated the bag as “suspicious,” Bates said.
The airport closed briefly, with an international flight back to Australia and several domestic flights diverted.
Defense Forces personnel were called to the scene to “neutralize” the device, and also assisted the police with their investigation.
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
A Jetstar flight lands at Dunedin Airport. (File photo)
Inside the bag were found a can of butane, a cell phone, a Soda Stream cylinder, batteries, bubble wrap and cables.
A handwritten note read: “A. Alpha, B. Birds, C. Crash, D. Dunedin, E. Emergency, F. Fools. “
A handwriting expert discovered that Maid may have written the note, Bates said.
The police investigation included CCTV footage, and it soon became clear that some elements of the copycat bomb came from a secure room inside the airport.
Prohibited items, including bubble wrap and a cylinder, were kept in the room that contained items seized from passengers.
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Preetam Maid leaves Dunedin District Court after an appearance in 2019.
A notebook still inside the room, one page was missing and it was similar to the note found at the scene.
Bates said the investigation used CCTV and magnetic card records to see who had access to that room.
That investigation found that Maid, who no longer works for Aviation Security, was in areas where she shouldn’t have been, including a hallway near the secure cargo room, which could be unlocked with keys.
CCTV showed him changing a backpack, which according to the Crown contained the black bag that was later found next to the cabin.
The Crown alleges that it planted the bag when it reported seeing the suspicious item.
There were no direct witnesses to Maid placing the bag, and the evidence in the case was “circumstantial.”
He urged the jury to “connect the dots.”
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
The main entrance to Dunedin Airport. (File photo)
That included the defendant who raised issues about the airport’s security measures.
He also contacted the media about his complaints, including Things, as well as circulate petitions about safety concerns.
Maid’s attorney, Deborah Henderson, said her client accepted that the device was found at the airport, but did not transport it there.
An aviation security supervisor spoke of Maid finding the bag and requesting permission for a closer inspection.
Maid, who started working for Aviation Security in May 2017, later appeared upset by the incident.
She described Maid as a diligent worker, but not always upholding the chain of command.
Some of his movements were shown to the jury on the day of the alleged incident.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
