Low Graphics Tuesday, 19 March, 2002, 20:38 GMT
Heist sparks airport security review
The stolen cash arrived at Heathrow on an SAA flight
A second multimillion heist at Heathrow Airport has forced ministers to order another review of security.
Robbers stole $3.2m (£2.25m) on Tuesday morning in the second security van heist at the west London airport in five weeks.
The money arrived in the UK on a South African Airlines flight from Johannesburg and was being transferred to a security van when it was hijacked by two men at 0730GMT.
The raid has raised difficult questions about the state of security in restricted areas "airside", supposedly improved after 11 September
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A spokesman for the Department of Transport, which sets the standards that airports have to meet on aviation security, said ministers had demanded to hear from airport operator BAA over the latest raid.
Transport Secretary Stephen Byers and Home Secretary David Blunkett had already requested an "urgent report" after the 11 February raid.
The latest raid also involved a security breach as two Asian men in their twenties forced the 21-year-old driver to drive out of Heathrow at knifepoint to nearby Cranford.
The money was transferred to another vehicle before the hijackers made off, abandoning the van in Church Road, Cranford.
The driver was unhurt, although he could not describe the getaway vehicle or the direction the men left in.
Silver containers
Detective Superintendent Tim White, of the Flying Squad, said: "The driver of the vehicle immediately alerted police and is currently assisting with our inquiries."
He initially only said a "substantial amount of cash" in two silver containers had been stolen, although police confirmed the exact figure later.
On 11 February thieves made off with £4.6m in foreign cash at Terminal Four after raiding a British Airways (BA) security van in a secure zone "airside".
Police believe that raid, in which two robbers were armed only with plastic wrist ties, may have been an inside job.
Bomb danger
They attacked the driver of a BA security van in a cargo loading area near Terminal Four, which they may have accessed using legitimate passes.
They escaped in another BA van with eight boxes of cash, which had just been taken off a jet from Bahrain.
Detectives scour the abandoned security van
Chris Yates, aviation security editor for Jane's Transport, said he was in no doubt the latest raid must have been an inside job.
He said: "Passengers should be extremely worried. If they can get airside they have access to aircraft. It only takes seconds to board an empty aircraft and plant a bomb.
"One wonders if the government is only paying lip service to the issue of airport security. The inquiry should have taken less time."
A man arrested on Tuesday in London over last month's robbery was later released without charge.
He was detained by police at around 0600GMT but was released after questioning with no further action being taken, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.
The Flying Squad has appealed for witnesses to both raids and said a reward was being offered for information about the February robbery.
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Michael
AA PLT,1 MLN Miles+
HH GLD, SCI GLD, MM SIL
LE PRESIDENT ETERNEL DE CAMAIR-CAMEROUN AIRLINES
