US embassy cable - 04MONTREAL691

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTREAL 000691 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2014 
TAGS: EAIR, ASEC, CASC, CA 
SUBJECT: BOTCHED SECURITY EXERCISE AT PIERRE ELLIOTT 
TRUDEAU (PET) INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 
 
REF: A) MONTREAL 233 B) MONTREAL 252 
 
Classified By: PRINCIPAL OFFICER BERNADETTE M. ALLEN, REASONS 1.5(B) 
AND (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Media reports of a botched security exercise 
at PET International Airport prompted post's Principal 
Officer (PO) to contact Aeroport de Montreal Corporation 
(ADM) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James 
Cherry and the Department of Homeland Security Pre-Inspection 
Facility Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for details on the incident. 
 CEO Cherry called the incident, the planting of TNT in a 
passenger's luggage, an embarrassing mistake.  DHS OIC 
provided more insight on how the mistake occurred.  End 
summary. 
 
2. (U) Several newspapers reported that security officials at 
PET (formerly known as Dorval) Airport conducted a routine 
security exercise on the night of Friday, May 7, 2004, that 
later proved an embarrassment to the ADM.  Explosives (TNT in 
a mason jar) which were to be planted in ADM test luggage 
and, subsequently were to be detected by a canine, instead 
mistakenly landed in a passenger's personal luggage.  The 
routine canine exercises reportedly are conducted daily, 
using ADM's own luggage or suitcases that have long gone 
unclaimed. 
 
3. (U) The traveller discovered the TNT in his bag upon 
arrival at his home in a suburb of Montreal, after he went to 
remove his toothbrush from his luggage.  He found the mason 
jar with markings "explosives" and immediatelly contacted the 
Surete de Quebec (local law enforcement).  The SQ evacuated 
the homes in the area and removed the TNT, which ADM and 
local law enforcement reported lacked a detonator and 
elements to cause an explosion. 
 
4. (C) ADM CEO Cherry informed PO that the ADM agent who 
planted the material has been severely reprimanded and he 
added, possibly may even be fired for the mistake. 
 
 
5. (D) DHS OIC informed PO that at the airport debrief, DHS 
inspectors were informed that the ADM agent had placed the 
TNT in a bag in the lost and found department.  Reportedly, 
within a five-minute, at which time the agent left the bag 
unattended, the traveller just happened to pass through Lost 
and Found to retrieve his bag.  Consequently, the canine 
never had a chance to sniff out the test jar. 
 
6. (C) PO asked CEO Cherry whether this incident and two 
others in February (see reftels) raise security concerns at 
PET airport.  Cherry was quick to say "no" and emphasized 
that reftel incidents were completely unrelated to the ADM 
exercise.  He mentioned that the Canadian Air Transport 
Safety Authority (CATSA) was solely responsible for the 
February incidents.  (Note:  DHS reported on an aiport 
baggage handler's hiring on April 22, 2004, and the same 
employee's firing the very next day (April 23, 2004), for his 
website: www.theforum.com/showthread.php?t=3414, that states, 
"Guess who's now able to bomb your airplane" and "Dats right! 
Got a nice side job airport security/runway crew.  He had 
also scanned his airport ID on the website.  End note.) 
 
ALLEN