SAA Crew Arrests at LHR
Not a shock if some crew caught alledgedly smuggling.
Across Air Crew worldwide there are murderers, rapists, paedophiles, drunks, druggies, wife beaters, husband beaters, child beaters and probably every other thing you can think of.
Outlandish statement ...YUP but why would people assume that Aircrew should be different from the population they are drawn from.
Are people above likely to be a small minority ?
Of course they are but the reality is that you will always get bad apples and to tar everyone with the same brush is as dumb as suggesting every pilot could land an Airbus in the Hudson and everyone gets out alive.
Across Air Crew worldwide there are murderers, rapists, paedophiles, drunks, druggies, wife beaters, husband beaters, child beaters and probably every other thing you can think of.
Outlandish statement ...YUP but why would people assume that Aircrew should be different from the population they are drawn from.
Are people above likely to be a small minority ?
Of course they are but the reality is that you will always get bad apples and to tar everyone with the same brush is as dumb as suggesting every pilot could land an Airbus in the Hudson and everyone gets out alive.
Paxing All Over The World
Geezers of Nazareth Thanks for the very helpful explanation. The heavy duty cling wrap is used by experienced pax in both directions where Africa is concerned and I always have my bags wrapped before departure to ANY African destination. In the UK it's, if memory serves, £5 a bag. I would also wrap my bags if going to South America, Thailand and similar countries.
Sorry if it is a hassle, the wrap operator usually makes sure the handles are cut through and that wheels are fully operational.
Sorry if it is a hassle, the wrap operator usually makes sure the handles are cut through and that wheels are fully operational.
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If a security guard at the departure admitted, it still leaves the question on who collects the merchandise?
The crew member concerned, or is there somebody who's able to pick up just the right bag BEFORE the crew gets hold of it without fellow workers noticing it? Seems risky to me even for smugglers
ie
Likelihood some crew member was involved
If I m wrong I m wrong but for now I ll remain in the suspicious camp
The crew member concerned, or is there somebody who's able to pick up just the right bag BEFORE the crew gets hold of it without fellow workers noticing it? Seems risky to me even for smugglers
ie
Likelihood some crew member was involved
If I m wrong I m wrong but for now I ll remain in the suspicious camp
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Aircrew are just a slice of the normal population!
Sad but true these days! I remember hearing from a mate who worked at RBA that a while back one of their 767 captains had to flee England after being arrested with controlled substance's in his luggage! Again sad if true? Isn't this why all safety related employees are drug tested these days??
Paxboy:
The hassle is not with the handles or the wheels, it is (unfortunately) with the whole bag being wrapped!. I shall explain...
Each baggage bin holds 40-50 bags, and when we come to empty them onto the belts we can usually find a handle or strap or something else to pull on *, to get the bags out and back to you. Despite the bags being different sizes and shapes they are still reasonably easy to slide.
With the bags on the SA flights covered in the security wrap/film they do not slide at all, and getting bags out of the bin is very difficult. Sometimes it can take two people pulling on a bag to get it to move.
* - I know that you don't want to hear about us pulling on straps and other such things to get the bags out, but sometimes it is the only way. If the bags are loaded with the handle facing 'inwards' we have to grab whatever we can. The worst thing to get/use is one of those stretchy luggage straps to go around your case - usually with your name embroidered - as they are one of the easiest things to grab, and one of the first things to break/snap.
Some 'areas for concern' that I can recollect based upon reading the comments in this thread ...
Airline #A - crew bags are collected by a coach. We unload them to the back of the aircraft, and he picks them up; we never see the crew pick up their bags. All he knows is how many bags he should have. An 'extra crew bag' can be easily overlooked, get removed from the airport to the crew hotel ... and the deed is done.
Airline #B - crew bags delivered to the back of the aircraft after the crew have been dropped-off at the front of the aircraft. We don't know how many crew there are, or how many bags, so an extra bag is simply loaded and we are none the wiser.
Airline #C - flight arrives late, so most of the crew do the 'tidy up' after pax disembark, while one crew member goes in the coach to collect the crew bags. He collects all the bags, but doesn't know which bag belongs to which CC. Again, an extra bag from places unknown, is loaded into the coach and taken to the hotel.
... and their are countless similar tales.
Now, back to speculation about the SA cc ...
Geezers of Nazareth Thanks for the very helpful explanation. The heavy duty cling wrap is used by experienced pax in both directions where Africa is concerned and I always have my bags wrapped before departure to ANY African destination. In the UK it's, if memory serves, £5 a bag. I would also wrap my bags if going to South America, Thailand and similar countries.
Sorry if it is a hassle, the wrap operator usually makes sure the handles are cut through and that wheels are fully operational.
Sorry if it is a hassle, the wrap operator usually makes sure the handles are cut through and that wheels are fully operational.
Each baggage bin holds 40-50 bags, and when we come to empty them onto the belts we can usually find a handle or strap or something else to pull on *, to get the bags out and back to you. Despite the bags being different sizes and shapes they are still reasonably easy to slide.
With the bags on the SA flights covered in the security wrap/film they do not slide at all, and getting bags out of the bin is very difficult. Sometimes it can take two people pulling on a bag to get it to move.
* - I know that you don't want to hear about us pulling on straps and other such things to get the bags out, but sometimes it is the only way. If the bags are loaded with the handle facing 'inwards' we have to grab whatever we can. The worst thing to get/use is one of those stretchy luggage straps to go around your case - usually with your name embroidered - as they are one of the easiest things to grab, and one of the first things to break/snap.
Some 'areas for concern' that I can recollect based upon reading the comments in this thread ...
Airline #A - crew bags are collected by a coach. We unload them to the back of the aircraft, and he picks them up; we never see the crew pick up their bags. All he knows is how many bags he should have. An 'extra crew bag' can be easily overlooked, get removed from the airport to the crew hotel ... and the deed is done.
Airline #B - crew bags delivered to the back of the aircraft after the crew have been dropped-off at the front of the aircraft. We don't know how many crew there are, or how many bags, so an extra bag is simply loaded and we are none the wiser.
Airline #C - flight arrives late, so most of the crew do the 'tidy up' after pax disembark, while one crew member goes in the coach to collect the crew bags. He collects all the bags, but doesn't know which bag belongs to which CC. Again, an extra bag from places unknown, is loaded into the coach and taken to the hotel.
... and their are countless similar tales.
Now, back to speculation about the SA cc ...
Last edited by Geezers of Nazareth; 22nd Jan 2009 at 22:20.
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The Plot Thickens
Following information in this morning's edition of South African newspapers:
1. A CC member was arrested on her return to SA and appeared in court yesterday on drug trafficking charges.
2. She is married to a Nigerian man who is linked to a West African drug cartel.
3. Intelligence shows that the two are part of a larger syndicate which is strongly suspected of having operatives in airlines and at airports to help smuggle drugs across the world.
4. The CC member has been an employee of SAA for the last three years.
Full Article in the Cape Times here.
1. A CC member was arrested on her return to SA and appeared in court yesterday on drug trafficking charges.
2. She is married to a Nigerian man who is linked to a West African drug cartel.
3. Intelligence shows that the two are part of a larger syndicate which is strongly suspected of having operatives in airlines and at airports to help smuggle drugs across the world.
4. The CC member has been an employee of SAA for the last three years.
Full Article in the Cape Times here.
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Why DO cabin and cockpit crew HAVE to take such heavy baggage with them? Often see uniformed crew lugging one/two hand baggage and two huge suitcases around and wonder what's in them - a couple of spare sets of uniforms and some clothes/toilet case for a short layover can't occupy so much weight or volume?
My take here is that there is a whole lot of private trucking going on, legal and semi-legal commerce between waypoints, and from there it is a short step downwards to narcotics.
My take here is that there is a whole lot of private trucking going on, legal and semi-legal commerce between waypoints, and from there it is a short step downwards to narcotics.
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Originally Posted by malq
Why DO cabin and cockpit crew HAVE to take such heavy baggage with them? Often see uniformed crew lugging one/two hand baggage and two huge suitcases around and wonder what's in them - a couple of spare sets of uniforms and some clothes/toilet case for a short layover can't occupy so much weight or volume?
My take here is that there is a whole lot of private trucking going on, legal and semi-legal commerce between waypoints, and from there it is a short step downwards to narcotics.
My take here is that there is a whole lot of private trucking going on, legal and semi-legal commerce between waypoints, and from there it is a short step downwards to narcotics.
I've seen some absolute tosh posted in these forums over the years but this one's the front runner.
So all aircrew with large suitcases are smuggling contraband malq? Perhaps you'd like to share your evidence with the rest of us?
