Originally Posted by
B747-437B
Special Branch at Gatwick (who I am very well acquainted with) are not engaged in anything remotely similar to the SPOT program. Embarkation checks are routinely conducted on specifically targeted flights for various specific reasons related to criminal activity and have been so since time immemorial (long before SPOT was dreamed up). They are not on a fishing expedition by any means.
+1. These police officers have been operating in this way in UK airports for years, long before the TSA existed or 9/11 happened. And I agree - they are generally focused on some specific objective rather than a fishing expedition.