Bolivia rolls out enhanced airport security measures

Bolivia’s Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada, has announced a revamped security protocol set to be instituted across the nation’s international airports.

This new protocol is designed to intensify efforts against drug trafficking and related crimes, as disclosed at a press conference on Saturday.

During a recent meeting of numerous ministers and principal state entity representatives, strategies were outlined, which include bolstering the fight against drug trafficking, refining airport security systems, and upgrading the interoperability of surveillance technologies such as CCTV cameras.

The introduction of these measures comes in response to the detection of 478 kilograms of drugs on a Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) flight by Spanish authorities.

The plane in question had departed from Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, destined for Barajas Airport in Spain.

“We are in the final stages of reviewing the protocol across all relevant institutions and will soon be publicly sharing the revised procedures,” Prada stated.

The incident involving the drug-laden flight, which occurred on February 11 and was reported by Spanish authorities on May 30, is currently under investigation.

Of the eleven individuals implicated in the case, seven have already been placed in preventative custody.

Meanwhile, Bolivian Minister of Economy, Marcelo Montenegro, indicated that these revisions to control protocols signify the government’s commitment to combatting drug trafficking, ensuring secure airports, and punishing those participating in illegal activities.

Among the newly implemented strategies, Montenegro highlighted inter-agency cooperation at international airports.

Furthermore, he stressed integrating information systems across all airport-based entities and swiftly establishing an airport monitoring and control center. Besides these, the improved control protocols will focus on tighter scrutiny of airport personnel.

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