An Australian man has been arrested and charged with radio interference at Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport after he was accused of illegally accessing aviation radio networks to transmit chants and false mayday messages.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) nabbed the 45-year-old suspect after executing a search warrant at his home in the Lower Plenty suburb of Melbourne on Saturday.
Officers discovered four handheld radios, along with associated equipment which was used to transmit the interference. Two mobile phones seized during the raid were found to have recordings of the chants and Mayday messages on them.
The AFP believes that the man had been interfering with radio networks at the airport since August, although the police were only brought in to investigate in September after receiving a report from the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA).
“These offenses are extremely serious. Aviation security is critical, and appropriate procedures, processes, and systems are in place to ensure the safety of aviation operations across Australian airports,” commented AFP Detective Superintendent Simone Butcher.
“Anyone who attempts to compromise the safety of the traveling public, through false or unauthorized access to its operations and equipment, will be caught and brought before the courts.”
The man has been charged with one count of radio transmission capable of prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft, one count of operating a radio communications device without a license, and one count of using a transmitter that interfered with radio communications in a way that was prejudicial to the safe operation of an aircraft.
The maximum penalties for these three offenses are 20 years imprisonment, two years imprisonment and five years imprisonment, respectively.
