MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands departing flight delayed: bullets confiscated from Rio Gallegos pax
The scheduled Saturday LAN flight, LA992 departing from Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falkland Islands to Chile with a call in Argentina, was delayed for an hour and a half after a total of fourteen live rounds and 95 empty casings were found in the hold and hand luggage of several passengers. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesNo doubt some idiots who wanted to take 'souvenirs' home with them to make them seem like the 'big hero'.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 07:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0Although there wasn't malicious intent to harm what they did was monumentally stupid. Live rounds can explode, even more so if they are very old rounds, which may have deteriorated somewhat. These idiots endangered the flight and the lives of everyone on board.
Thankfully the security at MPA was able to spot and stop these people or it could've ended in tragedy.
And the people who were caught trying to take these rounds on board should be thankful they were NOT in the US, because I think it's a federal offence there, and they could've been looking a jail time. And ignorance of the law is not an excuse.
Besides I've never been to an airport ANYWHERE in the world that didn't have posters and pictures up of items that are restricted. I wonder if these passengers ever bother to read them?
Maybe they will in future.
Thankfully Falklands Security Services are smartly on the ball. One of these idiotic Argies needs to inflicted with the full force of the Falklands and internatioanl aviation law - the smugness of “I didnt know or dont understand” doesn't hold truck any more. Idiots the lot of them.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 07:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0Possession of ammunition is a serious indictable offence in UK law. Anyone travelling inside UK territory possessing a firearm and or ammunition without any lawful excuse should be prosecuted. Ignorance is not a defence to an absolute offence.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0I am quite sure that there are many people detained at Her Majesty's pleasure in the UK for this offence, wondering why they weren't deemed to be a Walter Mitty fantasist and let off.
Malvinistas who never stop pushing the envelope, should cop a lifetime ban.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 09:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0l'd ban the whole lot of them.
@ 4 lsolde
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0'l'd ban the whole lot of them.'
I would agree with that if all the bodies had been sent back to the mainland. There must be some decent argies who still need to stand by the grave of their partner or child to keep themselves sane.
I know you would not stop those.
The problem is of course sorting the 'good' from the arseholes such as those who pulled this little stunt.
Perhaps they were collecting live ammunition for the argie “army”? They don't have any. :o)
Perhaps the Argies wanted to be locked up so they keep the Malvinas Myth alive in Argentina. Best to stamp their passport “ persona non gratia ” and make sure they don't visit the FALKLANDS again. Would't want a jail full of Argies on the FALKLANDS would we.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0It appears that the scanning of luggage will need to be a lot more thorough for all passengers travelling to Rio Gallegos in future. I wonder how many rounds of ammunition have already been smuggled back as souvenirs?
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0I recall that when Sharkey Ward visited Tumbledown as a guest of the Scots Guards, he piked up a rosary that was left on the battlefield and reminded that it should be left there by the Chaplain that accompanied the group.
I know that a vast number of firearms were smuggled home by the victors, but most of these have now been handed over to the Police in the various amnesties since.
People need to be reminded that these battlefields need to be maintained as they are - because they are sacred ground to both sides.
It would be very transparent, fair and responsible if this article spelled out the nationality of the people involved. Not a word. And the flight was OUTbound. Too many coincidences?
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0Coincidences? “ A flight once a month to Rio Gallegas ” just a coincidence nuff said.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0Proposal for new Falkland law....any dimwit Argentine trying to take live ammunition will be put up against a wall and shot...with that very ammunition !
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 11:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0lets hope that anyone apprehended is very heavily fined and then put on the plane asap so that there are not a load of Argentinians costing the community ,stuck in Jail !
If the Falkland Islanders can live without these flights then they should be closed down. Seems they provide Argentine Facists with an opportunity to cause mischief.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 11:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0This is the fella Alejomartinez - read and weep https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000997369300&fref=ts
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 11:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0first, where is the evidence that they were argentine veterans?
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 12:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0second, this news only appears in penguin news and merdopress.
who the fuck can trust in those shitty newspapers?
only tthe isleters.
and third, the flights from malvinas should be banned to make stopovers in argentina
@13 Why would you want to punish Argentines wanting to visit the graves and battlefields?
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 12:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@6. The phrase is 'persona non grata' not 'gratia'. A typo?
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 12:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@8. The offence is attempting to take such items on board an aircraft. What does it matter which way it was going? And why is the nationality important? But, since you raise the matter, guess the nationality of anyone travelling from the Falkland Islands to argieland who has no regard for the law.
@13. First, it doesn't say they were argie veterans.
Second, since argie newspapers only print what they're told to, what's your point?
Third, at last we can agree. No stopovers in argieland. Shouldn't stop argie 'passengers'. In line with standard argie practice, the cabin crew can simply open a door and shove the argies out. Wherever they wanted to go!
As for the thought that argies should be allowed into the Falkland Islands because there are some old bones there, who cares? It was argieland that decided it didn't want the bodies of its 'heroes' back. Not that bothered then. Oh, I know the excuse, “a part of the Falkland Islands will forever be argieland”. Once that phrase was spoken, the corpses should have been dug up and disposed of at sea.
The weekly flights by LAN are extremely important to the Falklands. Many islanders fly to Chile for medical treatment, shopping, business, international travel connections, etc...
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 12:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There is a close friendship between the two countries and Falklanders are welcomed.
The flights are strictly controlled by a treaty which dictates the stop in Argentina.
Generally the Argentines behave.
13 paulcedron (#)
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 02:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Indeed most Argentine stone throwing Veterans appear to be in their late teens or early 20's.
As with all stories they have to appear somewhere first.
The mass media would call being first an exclusive.
Now no need to swear you naughty boy
There are NO flights form what did you call it “the malvinas”.
Flights do occur from the Falklands, maybe you could respect the wishes of the People of the Falklands and call the Islands by the name they refer to them.
Paulcedron- Once again as thick as ever!
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 03:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Lan flight stops once a month each way at the request of the Argentine Govt - your Govt- you dumb thick arse!
It was a requirement and condition of the 1999 Communications Agreement and is specifically to allow your 1982 Veterans and next of Kin families to visit the islands direct without having the expense and hassle of travelling via Chile each time, and then meant there was no longer any requirement for special Int Red Cross organised flights as used to happen occasionally before.
God you are so thick!
We have no problem with your Veterans visiting- they after all suffer from the same PTSD traumas as do our own British veterans and likewise the families of the fallen - we are a civilized and humane people.
BUT all visitors should behave in a respectfull and polite dignified manner -many of your fellow Argentines do not!
Seems the whole system is working perfectly.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 04:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Some tourists decided to take souvenirs either surreptitiously or without realising it was wrong.
The law enforcement found the problem. Removed it and the flight left.
The article didn't mention nationality. Perhaps they were Argentine. Perhaps they weren't. Either way. A problem occurred and was solved.
Poor Paul and Alejandro are at their wit's end because they just can't comprehend a government and civil service that functions properly in accordance with laws.
No one felt the need to storm the boarding gate (a la China) and there were no tyres being burnt at the airport gate (a la Argentina).
If anything this article shows another reason WHY the Falkland Islanders would actually lose if they were part of Argentina. Because then the security officer could have just been bribed to ignore the problem.
@18. I note your points.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 04:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's been 32 years. If argieland hasn't yet managed to attain civilisation, why accept them? You may be civilised and humane, but are you being treated as mugs?
Let's try some specifics. Anyone born after 1965 is not a 'veteran'. But let them arrive. And then shoot them as spies as they get off the plane.
Next of Kin? Weren't all argie invaders bastards? How could they have next of kin?
You should have a problem with argies 'visiting'. Do you know what they're up to? For instance, shouldn't any display of an argie dishrag, or even argie colours, result in stone-throwing, beatings and, eventually, after the police have had their turn, deportation. After confiscating everything. Phones, cameras, IT equipment, books, scumland products, financial instruments, documents, money, clothes.
You need to widen your views. You seem to be guilty of believing that argies are like you. People. They aren't.
Get the picture. Those things across the sea aren't 'people'. They aren't human. How could any human people maintain a claim to something that has never been theirs for 32 years after being beaten by the best military in the world. Wouldn't they understand that successor troops could return?
# 4
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 05:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I was in that flight actually and No it was me taking souvenirs ( nor my group acutally) !! Had a great time
#21 “No it wasn't me .... ” let me clarify :-)
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 05:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@ 22 Artillero 602
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 06:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Alright we believe you. honest! :o)
If they were Malvinist bastards they should have thrown the lawbreakers off the flight preferably over the South Atlantic sea
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 06:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@12 Looked at your link Lord Ton. No political statements, just three middleaged bloques visiting the battlefield and remembering their mates who got killed. Nothing wrong with that. As artillero 601 @21 he had a great time and evidently enjoyed the great hospitality of the Islanders
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 07:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#25
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 07:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Got “ the bird” a lot though ( as flipping the finger ? ) since I live in Texas I'm very much used to !! lol
Argentina must take drastic measures against the usurpers.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 01) Accept once and returning the bodies of the fallen, so there are no excuses to travel there. 2) Remove any air contact between the mainland and the islands. 3) If Chile resists, should be reminded that there are a million chilotes living in villas causing insecurity. Between you hand him to release 300 chilotes on the islands and a million in Argentina, much difference. 4) Be decisive, no boat to the islands can browse our sea, none ..! 5) usurpers want to leave their island, easy .. Take the flight to St. Helena and South Africa and from there only God knows where.
These measures cut root any matter with residents of Turtle Island, Islands of pirates ..!
@27
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why on earth would you want The Turtle Islanders of the Phillipines to leave? This is about South America, numtie
Well the next time someone tries to take live ammunition on the aircraft they will
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0be arrested and fined, regardless of nationality. And yes Pauly it was argies who tried to smuggle live ammo onto the aircraft, a disgrace they were not arrested
True but you can't put everybody on the same category . JMO
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why is it Always a silly argy to puts the spanner in the works,
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 08:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0aint he got no nuts to turn,
unfortunately this happens all over the world,
and all I will say is this-
it wont be the first time, and certainly wont be the last...
ignorants arseholes
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 09:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0the 4th class newspaper says, in its spanish version:
“El vuelo en cuestión fue el LAN LA992, justamente el que hacía escala en Río Gallegos y si bien no hubo parte oficial ni se identificó a los pasajeros involucrados se estima que se trata de Veteranos argentinos de la guerra de 1982”
that means, there was not official statement and the passengers involved were not identified.
now, how the fuck you ignorant benny -hillbillies conclude that they were argentine veterans or argentine passengers.
it is a non story, bunch of retards.
then they say they are not brainwashed...ignoramuses x 1 million.
Paulie- please do not carry on being so thick! Read up man! The flight the previous week landed in RioGallegos on the way here from Punta Arenas and picked up a group of Argentines- mostly 1982 veterans -as is usual on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Then the flight on sat 17th was the one that calls at Riogallegos on the way back to Punta Arenas from the Islands - it thus takes those Argentine visitors back to Argentina.
Jan 23rd, 2015 - 10:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Who else other than Arg veterans would be wanting to take debris of the war to South America other than Argentines you clot!
Yes they were Argentines - just the same as it was an Argentine the month before who was caught with rifle shell cases stuffed up inside his camera tripod legs to try and disguise them.
How to I know this - I live here and my friends are in customs and Security at the airport.
Would you like me to get you a list of all the names of them?
@27
Jan 24th, 2015 - 10:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0I love the way you lash out in anger without thinking through the consequences to your own people. Sums Argentina up I'm afraid.
Stop crying over spil milk. There's no way you can argument Argentina is behind this. And if you insist, Argentina may even decide to stop the only flight you have exactly because Argentina got it for you kids. Don't forget Chile stopped the flight to retaliate you British subjects due to Pinochet affair. Remember you Iron Lady meeting and intimating this disgusting murderer and dictator? Well, the flight you now have is there because Argentina asked and let Chile flight back to Argentina's islands. Offend yourselves and make up stories. Then you can't complain!
Jan 24th, 2015 - 11:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0To the idiots who talk nonsense about stopping the weekly LAN flights, especially #27
Jan 24th, 2015 - 12:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina does not need to threaten Chile, but instead to stop permission for overflights. An independent charter service could then be set up for flights south of Argentine territory. The flight would be longer, more expensive and at times delayed due to weather.
Chile is in a strong economic, military and political position were Argentina would pay dearly if it were to threaten Chile.
The only people who would be hurt if the flights stopped calling in Argentina would be Argentines.
Jan 24th, 2015 - 01:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Chile will continue the flights to the Islands, but simply avoid Argentine airspace and put the fares up to compensate for the extra fuel. Any Argentines still wishing to visit the graves would then have to pay extra to travel to Chile first, as well as pay the increased fares.
Any 'threats' to curtail the flights will only backfire on Argentina. 'Threats' against Chilean citizens in Argentina might elicit a response from Santiago to protect their citizens. I hardly think Argentina would be in a position to defend given the state of your armed forces.
Any fools attempting to smuggle war 'souvenirs' will be fined by the authorities and might find that they are no longer able to return to the Islands.
Any idiots attempting to intimidate Falkland Islanders with their aggressive behaviour will similarly find that they spend the rest of their trip in the prison cells, awaiting departure, as well as their visa to visit rescinded.
37
Jan 24th, 2015 - 02:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“The only people who would be hurt if the flights stopped calling in Argentina would be Argentines.”
why?
argentina has no relation at all with the islets.
the bodies of the fallen should be repatriated, and that´s it.
the argentine aero space will be banned sooner than later for any flight from or to the islands.
you can go to chile (to do what?) via transpolar flights.
#38 Señor Dimwit
Jan 24th, 2015 - 02:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Falklands would love to have the bodies transfered back to their homeland.
The international airspace for flying from PA to Mount Pleasant is not that far southerly. By the way, there are charters all the time flying from Montevideo that no one talks about. (Your good friends across the river do what we do here in Chile. “Yea, yea, sure...the islands belong to you...yea, yea, yea...ha!”)
@38
Jan 24th, 2015 - 03:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You do not know history do you? Argentina does not want the war dead repatriated to Argentina and has said so many times. In fact they were reluctant to accept all the prisoners of war back, and they were not received well in the DARK COUNTRY.
It would be great if the war dead ( Argentines ) were repatriated, but alas it is not going to happen as you want “ boots on the ground ” but unfortunately they are dead.
@39 Chiruceo Charter flights from Montevideo? Never Heard of that. Details please. If so might be interested in going and might even sell a bull or two.
Jan 24th, 2015 - 03:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0After whinging and whining about cancelling this flight for all these years..... HURRY THE FECK UP AND DO IT ALREADY.
Jan 24th, 2015 - 05:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina is so impotent it has to always threaten and no Argentine on here is more impotent than our unemployed and disempowered Paulie.
Airspace is limited by teeritorial waters. Flying around Argentina wouldn't be such a huge issue.
Nothing Argentina does about the Falklands changes anything. When will they realise that they are ALWAYS losing?
Argentina have cut off everything but this flight. So go ahead. Hard to keep claiming something is Argentinean when they have 0% to do with you.
39- No charter flights from Monte exist- but they have been looked at along with charter flights from Santiago via Montevideo as yet no requirement but who knows in future!
Jan 24th, 2015 - 09:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0From Punta not so good as you need to go quite a long way around TDF to keep outside Arg airspace - would be at least a 2 -3hr flight each way and thus very costly. Best route would be from the north as then can connect into Int routes.
@32 I know it was argies you idiot as I have friends who works in the customs department and in airport security, it was an argentine veteran. Your so stupid you should be put down
Jan 24th, 2015 - 10:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@35
Jan 24th, 2015 - 10:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Argentina may even decide to stop the only flight you have ”
The only flight? Does the Falklands air bridge ring a bell?
You can't stop that.
What if Lan Chile fly around Argentine airspace and leave the veterans behind?
What you going to do about that amigo?
brainless f.y.
Jan 24th, 2015 - 11:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0any evidence of that?
no?
then shut your ass up, you retarded benny-hillbilly.
no one with a bit of a brain would trust in these shitty newspapers, and a lot less in a friend of yours, who surely has the same negative iq than you.
Paulcedron dumbo- FACTS- Airport security scanners showed up the bullets on baggage screen.
Jan 24th, 2015 - 11:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Cases opened and identified as live and spent ammunition(well proven fact that spent shells likely to still contain some explosive)
Uniformed Customs called - They then called Security - in this case as Stanley Police 30 miles away the British Military Police (redcaps0 were called as the offence was on a military base albeit the airport Terminal under civilian control that day.
Within a couple of minutes the Military police arrived- All MPs in Falklands are also sworn in as special constables so have full civilian authority as Falklands police.
They cordoned off the area - separated ALL Argentines from the queue and held them until all other passengers processed normally .
then the Argentines had all their bags Hand Searched - and the other ammunitions appeared.
Paul if you don't believe us - contact your president who paid the flights for the Arg vets and ask for a phone number or two and call them and ask them OK?
@46
Jan 24th, 2015 - 11:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Paul, why do you have to be so offensive all the time? I don't know if you think it's clever or what but the only affect is has is to make people be offensive in return. Is that what you want?
I'm sure your Mother would not be happy to see her son using offensive language and being so unpleasant and I'm also sure that you wouldn't behave like this in a person to person situation.
So please try and be more reasonable if only for your Mother's sake.
@47
Jan 25th, 2015 - 12:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well well well, no CT scanners but Airport Security Scanners -bet Argentina doesn't have any working airport Security Scanners, but hey they could always use the millions of CT scanners available in Argentina.
46 paulcedron
Jan 25th, 2015 - 12:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0You are seriously underestimating the speed and accuracy of the Falklands news network. I'm not even in the islands and I knew about this incident within minutes of it happening; I knew what had happened, who had been stopped and what they were carrying. I could even link to one of their Facebook profiles, but I'm not going to.
That's because the people who were involved in it, and that includes bystanders who witnessed it, all have families and friends and they are under no obligation to keep it a secret.
Your childish and pathetic ranting just makes you look a bit silly. I think you need to stop. It reflects so poorly on you that I'm starting to suspect that you might actually be a sock puppet for someone from the UK or the Falklands.
Talking of sock puppets..... what's happened to all the usual suspects.
Jan 25th, 2015 - 06:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Are they that scared of regime change or just not being paid.
Top Gear is on now and Clarkson, Hammond and May have ALL got Chilean flag lapel pins!
Jan 25th, 2015 - 08:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Bahahahaha… .
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