UPS self-screening under fire

THE UK government has banned UPS from screening its own air cargo at certain sites due to security concerns.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said: “We can confirm that, following careful consideration, the department has restricted the number of sites in the UK at which UPS [is] permitted to screen air cargo until it has satisfied current security requirements. For obvious security reasons we will not comment on the details.”

The UK has new security regulations brought in following the discovery of a Yemeni bomb smuggled onto a UPS freighter discovered last year. The bomb, disguised as a printer cartridge, was found when the freighter stopped en route to the US at East Midlands Airport (UK).

A UPS spokesperson commented: “As part of a scheduled review by the DfT of UPS procedures and employment documentation related to security, the DfT identified areas of concern that UPS now is working to address.

“Some facilities have been temporarily taken offline, which in some cases has led to delays in the movement of packages. UPS has activated contingency plans, communicated with customers and expects service levels to return to normal early next week.”