FBI Concerned Tankers Could be Used as Weapons by Terrorists
BOSTON — Members of the National Tank Truck Carriers heard April 27 and 28 that the FBI is concerned that tank trucks could be used as weapons by terrorists.
John Hamel, Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association chairman and president of tank truck carrier J&S Transport Co. in Lynn, Massachusetts, said an FBI special agent briefed him and other association members, and the agent said there has been chatter on the Internet of using tankers as weapons.
“They want to look at our drivers and analyze them. Maybe they give one who is desperate $50,000 or even $100,000 to go get a cup of coffee while parked at a truck stop, and when the driver gets back, the truck is gone,” Hamel said in recounting the agent’s hypothetical.
Hamel said a tank filled with propane or another hydrocarbon-rich gas could be parked next to the ventilation system of a large building, creating a risk of poisonous fumes and an explosion.
Hamel said the agent asked for help and urged carrier executives to contact regional FBI offices.
A U.S. Transportation Security Administration official corroborated Hamel’s remarks. Sonya Proctor, director of TSA’s surface transportation division, said her agency works closely with the FBI, which provides intelligence, and that tank-truck theft to cause mayhem is a legitimate concern at TSA.
She spoke of the need for partnerships to strengthen security and urged tank executives to talk to local police.
“Be familiar with your local law enforcement command. It’s important for you to know them,” she said, adding in the aftermath of a major problem “is not the time to exchange business cards. Do it in advance.”
