He said the check was cursory, as guards don't have the legal power to rummage through bags.
"The security officer doesn't actually have the power to put their hands in your bag and move your items around," he said.

It was one of many changes to the role guards played in quarantine that Wilson Security resisted and resulted "stand-offs" with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, the inquiry heard.
The department had labelled the firm "difficult" as a result.

"I hadn't realised we had won the reputation for being difficult at the time," Mr Watson said of the fair and reasonable questions they were raising about their role in infection control measures and powers of guards.

Mr Watson said there was no consultation with his firm when security guards were asked to conduct fresh air walks with quarantined travellers in early April.

An authorised officer from the Department of Health and Human Services threatened one of the Wilson's guards with a $20,000 fine when they pushed back against performing the role as they hadn't been advised by their employer that their roles had changed.