Heathrow raid raises security fear

LONDON, England -- A multi-million-dollar robbery has raised questions about the effectiveness of efforts to strengthen security at Heathrow airport after September 11.

Police and airport authorities were trying to find out on Monday how two robbers entered a secure cargo loading area near Terminal 4 the day before with security passes believed to be genuine.

The men escaped with $6.5 million cash in various currencies after holding-up a British Airways security van at London's main airport and overpowering its driver in the early morning raid.

The money had come in on British Airways Flight 124 from Bahrain on Monday and was due to fly on to JFK Airport in New York when the robbery took place.

The 187 passengers had just disembarked and the plane was refuelling.

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Within five minutes, all airport security gates were closed, but the robbers had fled, police said. Details on who owned the money have not been released.

The two men, described only as Asian, drove off in a BA van, which was later found abandoned and burnt out about two miles away from the airport.

The 35-year-old BA employed driver had been overpowered and left with his hands tied, suffering from shock.

Eight red cargo cash boxes containing the currency were transferred from one van to the other but were not found in the abandoned vehicle.

'Element of frustration'

Labour Member of Parliament John McDonnell, whose constituency includes Heathrow, called for an urgent and independent review of security at Britain's airports.

Efforts to boost it in the wake of previous breaches, including people getting onto runways with weapons, had failed, he told the BBC.

"There is an element of frustration setting in now. There have been a whole series of reviews after each of these incidents and another range of clamping down on the mechanisms yet still there is a problem," the MP said.

"What we have got to do is be completely ruthless about this, bring in external advice on security matters."

McDonnell added: "We have got to reassure people. We can't keep having incidents like this."

A police spokesman refused to say if the incident at Heathrow had prompted a new review of security, which had already been stepped up in the wake of the suicide terrorist attacks in the United States. "Security is always under review," he told The Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for BAA told the Press Association: "We are working closely with the police."

Detective Chief Inspector John Coles, of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad, told PA: "This is obviously an extremely serious incident which is why the specialist operations Flying Squad are dealing with it. We are working with all the relevant authorities."

Police said no guns were seen during the robbery by the driver of the money van, who was employed as a specialist valuable cargo handler.

It is nearly 20 years since Britain's biggest heist -- the Brink's-Mat robbery -- took place at Heathrow.

About $37 million was taken by a six-member masked gang which overpowered security guards at an airport warehouse and escaped with gold bullion and diamonds.