SA’s advanced passenger processing system set to eliminate WC hooligan risk
By ANIWednesday, June 9, 2010
Pretoria, June 9(ANI): The South African Home Affairs Department has said that the country’s Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) system will eliminate the risk of hooligans entering the country during the World Cup.
“The system will eliminate the risk to zero. For me to stand here and say there would be no hooligans, I would be lying (but) when the hooligans come into our country they will be blocked,” Sport24 quoted Mkuseli Apleni, Home Affairs Department Director General, as saying.
It follows a joint effort between the Home Affairs Department and the police to foil an attempt by 10 known Argentinian hooligans, “Barra Bravas”, to possibly disrupt the event.
Apleni further said that the advance warning of the group’s arrival was an example of the effectiveness of the APP system.
“This move sends out a strong signal that government will not tolerate the presence of soccer hooligans and other undesirable elements in our country,” said Apleni.
The group was prevented from entering the country on Sunday after they were flagged by one of the airlines signed up to the APP.
He also informed that between May 1 and June 5 approximately 2.5 million passengers had been processed through the system.
“During the same period more than 15,044 contraventions had been identified,” Apleni said. (ANI)
