Jetstar baggage handler busted.

[Vanhelsing]

I've had items go missing from buses on occasions over the years but never from a flight.

What seems odd to me here is the thief at one point looks directly at the camera which you'd imagine is the last thing a thief would want to see. Jetstar setup??


"A baggage handler has been filmed helping himself to the contents of a passenger’s check-in luggage as part of an airport sting operation.

The 27-year-old man was filmed unzipping the bags and rummaging around inside them on a Jetstar Asia flight bound for Indonesia from Phuket International Airport on Monday, the Phuket Gazette reports."

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2017/...aggage-handler-filmed-rifling-through-luggage

I haven't quoted in the right format, or added the video in the correct fashion as it seems I'm on some kind of delay with functions and pages taking minutes to load, notifications of "You have to wait 195 seconds", simply nothing happening, pages timing out, and on.....

 

[Jaime C]

Never put anything truly valuable in checked luggage.

 

[Vanhelsing]

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[Davita]

I never put anything of value in checked bags...always in carry-on. I'm therefore more worried that someone puts something IN my bag to be transported and always use electrical tie-clips to secure the zippers. If the tie-clip is broken I report to customs inbound but, so far, nothing broken.

 

[Anglian]

One of the funniest things I saw was when I was at Heathrow commonly called Thief row for obvious reasons, but I was seeing away an aircraft to Amsterdam, the aircraft had come from Belfast, there was some freight still on board to be forwarded, as I’m doing my walk round I hear these horrendous screams come from the forward freight hold, so I rush round to see what’s up, just in time to see a loader legging it across the pan followed by lots of eels, he had forced a box open full of eels who rapidly made there escape down the drains, not much I could, just told the Captain he had lost some of his cargo

 

[Chiron]

After Indonesia started increasing the frequency of drug related executions, I've become just a bit more concerned about where my luggage has been after checking it in. I now find myself opening each piece of luggage as soon as it comes off the baggage carousel - just to make sure it looks exactly like it did when I packed it. With increased and more severe penalties, drug smugglers could opt to transfer the risk to random travelers.

I realize that it's quite rare for someone to insert something to your luggage, with the goal of somehow retrieving it later - but it's not so far fetched as one may think. I recall my one trip to Bogota, Columbia some years back, and was amazed at how many people were using the plastic wrapping service at El Dorado airport. When the bags came off the carousel in Houston I estimated maybe one-fifth had been wrapped.

From reading stories online, it seems like one feasible way drug smugglers use random traveler luggage is to insert something after it has cleared security x-rays at the point of origin. Once it reaches the destination, it's simply taken by someone at the airport and it ends up being reported as lost luggage. There are several variations of what happens while it is "lost". There are stories of bags just being swapped, once it is delivered to the inconvenienced traveler. There are also cases, of letting the unsuspecting traveler bear the risk of taking the bag through customs. Not sure how the smugglers actually recover the drugs after the unsuspecting mule walks out of customs, but where there's a will there must be a way.

Although there are no guarantees in life, you can take steps to reduce overall risk. For me, I started using Samsonite S'Cure hard sided luggage. Using anything with a zipper side, no matter what lock, zip ties, etc., will be subject to tampering. I'm now rethinking the Samsonite bag, because the built in TSA lock is one of the most pick-able locks around. However, it does keep the casual thief as shown in the video above from a quick theft. I've actually been considering a Pelican suitcase - specifically the Pelican 1615. These bags have two hasps on either side, that can actually accept heavy duty pad locks. There's a bit of a debate on whether to use an imposing non-TSA lock or not. However, this case combined with two TSA approved locks (cable type), and also using the blue electrical style tie-wraps (as noted in Davita's post) would probably be enough to feel a bit more secure.

http://www.pelican.com/us/en/pro/product/watertight-protector-hard-cases/large-case/air-case/1615/

BTW, the 1615 has the maximum allowable dimensions (62 inches) for checked-in luggage.

 

[waarmstrong]

I wonder if Pelican is trying to cash in on a prepper mentality among some travelers.

 

[Chiron]

I wonder if Pelican is trying to cash in on a prepper mentality among some travelers.

I have actually seen a Pelican, and they are very sturdy - made to last a long time. My Samsonite S'Cure ended up getting a nice little hole gouged into the side on the last trip to Indonesia - on only it's third trip. The other good selling point of the Pelican is being fairly waterproof. They're mostly popular with photographers transporting camera equipment, with lots of lenses, tripods, etc. So most of their cases are smaller with foam inserts. This 1615 is their full suitcase size with the overall dimensions limited at 62 inches.

 

[waarmstrong]

Curiosity demanded that I consult Google regarding the cost of a Pelican 1615 case. If I was a baggage handling thief, a $255 to $400 Pelican case would be on my list above run of the mill canvas duffles and Samsonites from Walmart.

 

[Chiron]

Yes, that is the downside. They may be thinking: "Hmmm... what kind of crown jewels are inside of this double padlocked case...

 

[Jaime C]

The obvious solution is to have no checked bag.

Otherwise, someone could just put your luggage tag on their drug filled bag.

I use no lock, no wrap, and no expensive looking bags. I try not to have anything too expensive in the bag. It’s been 20 years, and millions of air miles since I’ve lost anything.

 

[Davita]

The obvious solution is to have no checked bag.

Otherwise, someone could just put your luggage tag on their drug filled bag.

I use no lock, no wrap, and no expensive looking bags. I try not to have anything too expensive in the bag. It’s been 20 years, and millions of air miles since I’ve lost anything.

I find the luggage tags and glue so strong I've a hard time removing them even after getting home...they usually need to be ripped-off and thereafter unusable.

 

[Anglian]

On my last trip from Perth someone stole the handle on my suitcase, perhaps they were luggage tag collectors, couldn’t get it off so took the handle as well. I recall that the now deceased airline AdamAir would line all the Loaders up and security staff would pad them down on completion of loading, I couldn’t imagine security at Perth Airport or LHR allowed to do that

 

[Anglian]

When I went to Singapore once by Singapore Airlines, the wheels on the suitcase were severely damaged rendering them useless, I reported the damage, they asked how much the suitcase cost, it was an expensive case, OK they said we will come to your hotel and collect your suitcase which they did, returned it repaired same day,

I could write a book about luggage handlers, lost luggage and luggage in general plus drug smuggling and crooked customs men that I have experienced over my many years working on aircraft and traveling round the world

 

[Jaime C]

I find the luggage tags and glue so strong I've a hard time removing them even after getting home...they usually need to be ripped-off and thereafter unusable.

A simple slice, and it’s off, and easily spliced back together on the drug filled bag.

 

[Davita]

A simple slice, and it’s off, and easily spliced back together on the drug filled bag.

I don't get what you mean. I think most people identify their bag by colour, or looks, not by the luggage label. If the luggage label was removed and placed on another drug-filled bag why would it be picked up by mistake?

 

[Anglian]

A simple slice, and it’s off, and easily spliced back together on the drug filled bag.

Don’t think that would work too well Jamie, majority of people go by their suitcase not the tag, so the chances of you taking a bag with a swooped tag pretty remote, the most common method is to leave the suitcase on the luggage island, it’s latter transferred from international to domestic, avoiding customs altogether, if you have come directly from Singapore you baggage was checked there any suspicion about a bag is passed to customs here in indonesia