Chain of Custody, Secure Storage, and Transport to the Aircraft
Protecting integrity after screening
Once cargo is secure, the objective is to keep it secure. Chain of custody records who held the consignment, when, and under what conditions, so that any break can be identified. Secure storage means an area with controlled access where cargo cannot be tampered with. Access control limits who can reach secure cargo and records entry. Tamper-evident sealing provides a visible indication of interference; the seal number must be recorded and verified at each handoff.
Documentation and movement
Documentation must travel with or alongside the consignment, showing status, seal number, and handling history. Transport to the aircraft is a custody event: the cargo must move under controlled conditions, and the receiving party must verify the seal and documentation before acceptance.
Traps
Questions often treat a seal as proof of security rather than evidence of integrity; a broken or mismatched seal means the cargo is no longer secure. Another trap is assuming storage is secure merely because it is locked; access control and records are part of the control. A further trap is a handoff without verification, which breaks the chain even if nothing was actually tampered with.
Rule of thumb
Every handoff needs three things: identity of the handler, verification of the seal, and a record. If any is missing, the chain is broken.
Worked example
Cargo arrives at the aircraft with a seal number that does not match the documentation. The correct action is to treat the consignment as no longer secure and resolve before loading, not to accept it because the seal is intact.