HE didn't know it, but Australian customs officers had marked him out as a 'high-risk' individual, who needed to go through more stringent customs checks than others.

So when Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilot Ng Kok Yauw landed in Adelaide last Saturday, the officers put his belongings through a thorough search.

They even looked into the contents of his laptop, and that's when they found child pornography.

Ng, a captain with SIA, pleaded guilty in court to having the material, and was promptly slapped with a A$12,000 ($15,350) fine on Monday.

The 40-year-old father of two said in court that he had downloaded the files 'out of curiosity,' Australian TV station 7 News reported.

Ng's case follows that of another pilot who has also been fined for bringing child pornography into Australia.

A spokesman for the Australian Customs Service told The New Paper that all incoming passengers, including airline crew, are risk-assessed before arrival.

The spokesman denied that they had acted on a tip-off.

He declined to provide details of how the risk assessment is done.

He said: 'On arrival, people may be selected for questioning and baggage examination for a variety of reasons.

'We do not disclose what the risk factors or indicators might be.'

The spokesman said customs officers can physically examine, X-ray screen, test or analyse any item coming into Australia.

The inspection can involve reading documents stored in a laptop.

Ng's case is causing some concern and confusion among flight crew members, who have been posting comments about the case on an online forum, Professional Pilots Rumour Network (PPrune).

One asked if they should expect all their laptops to be checked.

DON'T ARGUE

Pilots who spoke to The New Paper on the issue, declined to be named.

One pilot said immigration staff at every airport have the right to conduct such checks. He has had his laptop inspected when he flew into the US and got it back on the spot.

He said: 'Immigration officers took me to an open cubicle and asked me to switch it on. I couldn't see what they were doing.

'Then the guy said, 'Okay, you can go'. I don't even know what he did with my computer. You don't argue with immigration officers.'

Another pilot, who knows Ng, said he was aware of the case as SIA had told staff to be aware of the situation.

But he declined to talk about Ng.

He was upset at the repercussions the case might have on them doing their jobs properly.

He asked: 'Where do they (immigration officers) draw the line?

'You can look through my handphone messages and say that a particular word has pornographic meanings or innuendos.

'Someone may send you an e-mail with a movie file and you download it to view it later. Can they construe it as downloading child porn?'

Singapore Airlines spokesman Stephen Forshaw said in a statement that the airline is aware of the incident, and is making further inquiries.

He said: 'All our crew are expected to comply with the laws of countries they travel to.

'This includes the carriage of their personal effects being in compliance with customs and other laws of countries they enter while flying.'

The director of an aviation company, who declined to be named, said it was rare for an immigration officer to check a pilot's laptop.

He said: 'It's very rare for a pilot in uniform to be checked.

'They don't ask flight crew members in uniform to turn on their computers.'

In Australia, the maximum penalty for offences involving objectionable pornography is A$110,000.

Where child pornography is involved, offenders may be fined a maximum of A$275,000 and jailed up to 10 years.

SERIOUS

The Australian Federal Police take a serious view of child pornography.

There is even a special division set up to guard against the online exploitation of children.

The division, called the Online Child Sex Exploitation Team, investigates offences like accessing, sending or uploading child porn or child abuse material.

Interestingly, pornography is not listed as a must-declare item on the Australian Customs Service website.

Items you must declare include protected wildlife, weapons and ammunition, and medicinal products.

Visitors, including businessmen and students, can bring desktop or laptop computers duty-free into Australia - provided these items are taken with them when they leave the country.

However, the site does warn travellers that customs officers may question them at any time.