A real-life example presented itself on April
18, 2006 when an unaccompanied 5-year-old
girl arrived at John F. Kennedy International
Airport aboard Avianca Airlines Flight #020
from Bogota, Colombia with two hardsided
suitcases. An inspector conducting a
routine examination opened one of the girl’s
suitcases and noticed an unusually thick
side. The inspector probed the siding of the
suitcase and discovered a white powdery
substance that fi eld-tested positive for
heroin. The offi cer seized the heroin which
weighed approximately 1,042 grams. While
customs contacted the Administration for
Child Services, Avianca offi cials retrieved
surveillance footage to determine if the
child’s mother acted suspiciously on
tape when she dropped the child off.
The American Dynamics surveillance system
gives airline authorities the means to provide
visual evidence for criminal trials by burning
footage from Intellex onto CD to share
with authorities. The airline is able to share