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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Michael O'Toole

Dublin Airport worker sparked security alert with replica guns so she could dress up as Tomb Raider Lara Croft

A Dublin Airport worker sparked an alert when she brought three replica guns through security – so she could dress up as Tomb Raider Lara Croft.

Dublin Live has established the worker brought in two replica pistols and a fake shotgun through a hi-tech scanner and got airside. A source said: “They should have been spotted but weren’t. They were in a bag as they went through the scanner and would have shown up on the screen, but nobody spotted them.”

The alarm was only raised when a passenger in an airside shop where the woman was dressed as Lara Croft – the heroine of the Tomb Raider computer game – alerted Airport Police. Two officers went to the outlet just after 1pm on October 30 confiscated all the replicas.

Read more: Pro-IRA chanting at Dublin Airport condemned days after Ireland football team controversy

The woman worker was also told to report to the Airport Police as part of the incident. Sources told Dublin Live she later received a slap on the wrist over the incident.

It’s understood her airside access was temporarily suspended and she was required to undergo retraining. Sources also said the woman was not employed by Dublin Airport Authority – but worked for one of the shops in Terminal Two.

A spokesman for Dublin Airport Authority declined to comment when contacted by Dublin Live last night. He also declined to comment after a whistleblower raised concerns about aspects of security at Dublin Airport.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 security queue (@MikeRoss03)

We have established that the protected disclosure was given to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan in June. In the disclosure – which has official protection in law – the source told Mr Ryan security staff are under immense pressure as they try to safely screen tens of thousands of passengers every day.

A DAA spokesman told Dublin Live: “Our overriding strategic objective is to ensure our customers are presented with a quality service, which meets the highest international safety and security standards. We do not comment on security matters or speculation around security processes for obvious reasons but DAA is fully committed to safeguarding civil aviation and protecting and securing all those who travel through and work at Dublin Airport.

“Aviation is one of the world’s most highly regulated industries. Dublin Airport is subject to regular, independent, national and international oversight of our compliance with stringent security requirements.”

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