CANBERRA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Security delays being experienced by travelers at Australian airports will be a "short-term" pain, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said on Monday, after Australian authorities disrupted a terror plot to bring down an airliner at the weekend.
On Saturday night, authorities led by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) were involved in five raids which resulted in the arrest of four men in Sydney, after police were tipped off that there was a plot afoot to bring down a plane over Australia.
Speaking to Sky News, Justice Minister Keenan said that security would be tightened for the foreseeable future, causing delays for both domestic and international travelers, but they would ensure that Australia's "world-leading" security and intelligence agencies can keep people safe.
"We have very comprehensive and multi-layered security at our airports and we believe that would have been effective in this instance. We think long and hard about our transport arrangements ... there are very few airports in the world which are as hardened as Australian airports," Keenan said.
The extra measures "will involve some inconvenience to the traveling public, but I think people will appreciate that while we're continuing this investigation, we're taking these heightened security measures to ensure the traveling public remain safe," he added.
While the investigation into the terror plot "remains ongoing," local media has reported that an attack could have involved an improvised explosive or use of a deadly gas.
Keenan said while he can't go into specific details about the investigation, Australia's security agencies were constantly working to ensure public safety.
"We are protected by the best intelligence and law enforcement communities in the world. We work incredibly closely with them to ensure they can keep people safe."
