The decision to boost the number of checks was made by senior law enforcement officials on Saturday. And during a Gold command strategy meeting – which are called to establish the Island’s response to serious ongoing incidents – at police headquarters on Monday, the decision was made to continue checks at the ports for the foreseeable future.
As a result, Customs staff are advising travellers that they could experience minor delays when arriving at or leaving the Island.
Senior States police officers and Customs staff are also in regular contact with authorities in France as well as the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Following the attacks, which left at least 129 dead and hundreds more injured, Jersey’s Special Branch officers and staff from Customs have also been carrying out routine patrols involving armed officers at the Airport and harbours.
This morning armed police raided a flat in a Paris suburb in an operation linked to Friday’s attacks. One female suicide bomber blew herself up while another man was shot dead by a police sniper during a lengthy gun battle. Five others were arrested.
Belgian Abdelhamid Abaaoud, (27) who is believed to have masterminded the attacks in the French capital, is understood to be one of those inside the property.
Home Affairs Minister Kristina Moore announced the new security measures during States questions on Tuesday.
The minster said various protocols had been put in place since the events and added that officers at the police and Customs were being kept fully briefed by colleagues in the UK and France.
‘We are part of the Common Travel Area and we have increased checks on passengers travelling from outside the Common Travel Area. This means all passports are being swiped and all cars are being opened as are all containers arriving from outside the Common Travel Area which are being checked.
‘This will be done to the best of our ability and to the same extent and standard as the UK border agencies,’ she said.
The Common Travel Area includes Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. With certain exceptions, the CTA’s internal borders are subject to minimal security checks.
For security reasons neither Customs nor the police would disclose the exact details of the new security checks or how many cars or containers were being searched every day.
Speaking to the JEP, Mark Cockerham, director of law enforcement at Customs, said: ‘The increased checks on arriving traffic from outside the CTA will be reviewed and ongoing contact will be maintained with all relevant agencies both on and off the islands to help assess the situation.’
Asked how long staff would be carrying out extra checks for, Mr Cockerham said: ‘The decision was made on Saturday and will continue as long as it is deemed necessary as determined by the Gold group.’
Jersey’s terror threat remains at ‘severe’ – in line with the UK – meaning an attack is ‘highly likely’. It has been at that level since last year. The aviation terror threat is set at ‘substantial’ meaning an attack is a ‘strong possibility’, which is lower than the UK.
