Heathrow Airport is on high terror alert amid fears female terrorists might use breast implants as bombs, it emerged today.
Experts believe there is a 'credible' threat that al-Qaida could target flights out of London using explosives hidden in the chests of its operatives.
Specialists believe women could have had breast surgery with implants which, if injected with another liquid, will cause a large enough explosion to take down a plane.
Sources have said that security at Heathrow is taking longer as they check busts.
'There are genuine fears over this,' a member of staff told the Daily Mirror.
'We have been told to pay particular attention to females who may have concealed hidden explosives in their breasts.
'This is particularly difficult for us to pick up but we are on a very high state of alert. It’s led to long queues here at Heathrow – much longer than usual at this time of the year.'
Terrorism expert Andy Oppenheimer added: 'There is a great fear that al-Qaeda are planning on using internal devices to try to get through airport scanners. These explosives could be in breast implants.'
Government sources have admitted they are aware of the breast implant threat but Heathrow and the Department for Transport said they would not comment on specifics.
A spokesman for the DfT said: 'The safety of the travelling public is paramount, which is why the UK combines technology, intelligence and other measures to provide one of the strictest aviation security regimes in the world.
'We have a regular monitoring programme in place to ensure compliance with this regime, but do not comment on the specifics or outcomes for obvious reasons.'
Meanwhile a Merseyside MP is demanding answers after claims two improvised explosive devices and two knives were missed in security tests at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
A whistle-blower at the airport has claimed that security tests - known as 'coverts' - were taking place on August 7 when the two IEDs and the blades passed through hand-baggage screening without being discovered.
It meant they would have been able to be taken onto a plane at JLA without further discovery.
Management at the airport today remained tight-lipped about the alleged incidents and would neither confirm or deny they had taken place.
Maria Eagle, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and within whose Garston and Halewood constituency the airport is sited, said she was deeply concerned by the claims.
She said: 'As local MP and in my other role, this allegation is extremely worrying, and I will be asking the aviation minister to look at this and give me some assurances about what is going on.'
據(jù)英國(guó)媒體8月16日?qǐng)?bào)道,英國(guó)倫敦希思羅機(jī)場(chǎng)加強(qiáng)恐怖襲擊戒備,防范基地組織將烈性炸藥植入女性自殺襲擊者的乳房中,進(jìn)而在機(jī)場(chǎng)發(fā)動(dòng)自殺式恐怖襲擊,而這些炸藥足以炸毀一架飛機(jī)。
消息稱希思羅機(jī)場(chǎng)目前已經(jīng)延長(zhǎng)了安檢時(shí)間,來對(duì)“乳房炸彈”嚴(yán)加防范。“這種做法非常恐怖,”機(jī)場(chǎng)的一位工作人員表示,“我們已經(jīng)被告知在進(jìn)行安檢時(shí)一定要對(duì)女性的乳房特別注意,因?yàn)檎◤椏赡芫碗[藏其中。雖然這種檢查費(fèi)時(shí)費(fèi)力,但由于機(jī)場(chǎng)目前處于高度警戒狀態(tài),所以才導(dǎo)致乘客們大排長(zhǎng)龍等待安檢。”
恐怖主義專家安迪·奧本海默補(bǔ)充道:“基地組織目前正計(jì)劃采用一些能夠放置在人體內(nèi)的炸彈裝置來通過機(jī)場(chǎng)的安檢掃描儀,‘乳房炸彈’正是其中之一,這將會(huì)進(jìn)一步考驗(yàn)機(jī)場(chǎng)的安檢措施。”
據(jù)了解,英國(guó)政府相關(guān)人士已經(jīng)承認(rèn)了“乳房炸彈”可能存在的威脅,但希思羅機(jī)場(chǎng)和英國(guó)交通部拒絕對(duì)該事件的細(xì)節(jié)發(fā)表評(píng)論。
“保證公共交通工具的安全是至關(guān)重要的,因此英國(guó)政府在這方面投入了大量技術(shù)和人員,并采取了多種措施,來打造全球最嚴(yán)格的航空安全制度,”英國(guó)交通部的一位發(fā)言人介紹說,“我們擁有一套定期監(jiān)測(cè)計(jì)劃來保證各個(gè)機(jī)場(chǎng)都遵守這一制度,但我不能向外界透露具體的細(xì)節(jié)。”
與此同時(shí),消息人士稱在利物浦約翰·列儂機(jī)場(chǎng)于8月7日進(jìn)行的一次安全演習(xí)中,有兩個(gè)簡(jiǎn)易爆炸裝置和兩把刀順利通過了機(jī)場(chǎng)的行李掃描,這就意味著它們有可能被帶到該機(jī)場(chǎng)的任何一架飛機(jī)上,但機(jī)場(chǎng)方面目前仍然拒絕對(duì)此事發(fā)表評(píng)論。