MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sweeping reforms in Argentine airports security.

The Argentine government is planning a new security agency to man the country's airports following the recent drug traffic scandal at Buenos Aires main international terminal, Ezeiza.

According to Buenos Aires press President Nestor Kirchner has decided to dissolve the Aeronautical Police, the Air Force branch responsible for security matters and baggage screening services in the country's airports, and replace it with an Interior Ministry dependency. This week the government will be sending the legislation for Congressional consideration.

Last week President Kirchner sacked the Air Force commander, the Aeronautical Police Chief and Ezeiza airport administrator following the discovery of a 60 kilos cocaine shipment to Spain which remained in unclaimed luggage in Madrid airport.

However the sacked airport police commander blamed "total responsibility" of the incident in Argentine airline Southern Winds which transported the drug suitcases. Kirchner justified the removal of the three Air Force officers saying that "they had an obligation to inform the president of what was happening".

Three people, all airline employees, have been arrested so far in connection with the drug trafficking.

Judge Carlos Liporace, the investigating magistrate said Sunday that "in the next few hours" he may request the extradition of Elena Toinil Batan and Ramon Gonzalez Villar, the Spanish couple who were the alleged recipients of the cocaine.

The attempt to smuggle the cocaine into Spain was foiled last September when a Civil Guard at Madrid's Barajas airport found 60 kilos of cocaine hidden in some speakers packed in four suitcases.

The baggage, marked "Argentine Embassy, Spain" was shipped by Southern Winds but remained unclaimed.

The air carrier argued it had notified authorities of the irregularities and accused the Air Force of erasing videos that contained evidence of the smuggling operation. Southern Winds claimed it was the "victim of criminal actions" insisting the Aeronautical Police was responsible for baggage screening.

Three staff members of Southern Winds remain under arrest: manager Fernando Arriete, Operations chief in Ezeiza airport, Claudio Baudino, and Walter Beltrame who oversaw programs for frequent flyers and travelled regularly to Madrid.

Beltrame is the son of Commodore Alberto Beltrame head of Ezeiza airport who was also sacked.

Mr. Arriete charged that the carrier's owners, Juan and Cristian Maggio, knew about the smuggling. Southern Winds has had financial problems for several years and was currently receiving a fuel subsidy from the federal government.

Apparently Walter Beltrame presented Judge Liporace with internal airline documents showing that the carrier transported luggage without owners or passenger identification "regularly and without any type of controls since 2002".

La Nacion reported that Argentine drug-enforcement authorities suspected as early as October 2004 that Southern Winds planes were being used to smuggle drugs with "worrisome frequency." The newspaper, citing an official report, said some 50 tons of cocaine from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia enter Argentina each year.