Baggage theft!

[Subject 117]

Swissport and Stansted were in the news for the wrong reasons recently as a baggage handler was convicted for theft.

In court it was said that theft from passengers' luggage at Stansted airport was “endemic” among baggage handlers. I for one think that is rubbish and that most are decent people, was wondering what others around the country thought of those that have the hard job of loading bags day in day out?

[sat1]

In court it was said that theft from passengers' luggage at Stansted airport was “endemic” among baggage handlers. I for one think that is rubbish and that most are decent people, was wondering what others around the country thought of those that have the hard job of loading bags day in day out?


'ENDEMIC' makes for good newspaper sales,bad apples in barrels dont you know!!!

[Avitor]

When just one passenger bag is tampered with, with theft in mind, there are NO redeeming features.

[cwatters]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7092946.stm

"An investigation by BBC Inside Out in the East found 22 handlers have been arrested since December 2006"

[sat1]

A former worker for handling company Swissport told the BBC that a colleague went through every bag on every flight

THATS A BLOODY LONG TURN AROUND TIME DONT YOU THINK?????

[merlinxx]

Am I surprised? NO. This is an endemic problem and has been since I joined this industry back in the mid 60s. Hence the names given to "Gatnick" & "Thiethrow". As airport expansion gathered pace with more and more under cover baggage handling areas growing, lack of surveillance cover.

One member sighting another stealing is either coercerd and/or threatened in to joining or ignoring the practice.

The only way to stop this, is heavy penalties, and much better screening, and surveillance of staff.

It is a management failing for the lack of oversight and control.

[acmi48]

what happens if a piltherer finds a suspicious object in a bag or case,or even a bomb device..does he report it..knowing he has to explain the reasons how he found it..or does he ignore it to save himself

[ShyTorque]

Another major concern is the loophole in anti-terrorism security.

If a criminal is employed as a baggage handler and has easy access to the inside of the bags, as well as removing items, he could also introduce something into a bag.

Not that any notice was taken of those of us voicing our concerns some time ago that all bags are to be left unlocked. :=

Flawed logic.

[garywoodrow]

We go through the same or more security than passengers to get on the airfield (at least at Liverpool). So anything we could put in a bag, would be able to pass through the passengers security screening/search anyway. :confused:

[HZ123]

Gary W As a member of staff at LHR / LGW since 1975, hving worked at many other UK airports as well I find your observation nothing short of amazing. If you think that the 'search' will achieve that which you suggest then you are an optimist and I wish you a long an happy aviation career.

[ShyTorque]

Gary, once through security someone with relatively unrestricted airside access would have absolutely no difficulty picking something up already placed inside the secure "enclave". It surely doesn't need too vivid an imagination to work out how that might be done.

[Skylark58]

A friend of mine recently had a brand new laptop stolen from his 'TSA checked' baggage returning Philadelphia-LHR. One can readily envisage a system whereby someone puts a small mark on any case containing 'interesting' items, so someone else can remove them. In a conversation with Philadelphia police, my friend was informed that they are prevented by the US unions, from installing CCTV in the baggage area. The theft aspect is one thing, but the security implications, that if things can be removed, then a bomb can be put in, are astonishing. TSA offerd him 50% of the value of the laptop BTW.

[garywoodrow]

Shy, all i was trying to say is that security is 'crap' in the whole airport and i dont think you would need a job with a pass to get an object through.. sorry if you mis-understood me. :}

Another amazing thing i found about the airport, it has all these high, barbed-wire security fences near the terminal to stop people sneaking onto the airfield. However walk down to the end of the runway along the road (to Rwy 09) and u can literally step over (or walk through) an old broken wooden fence that is all of 3ft high straight onto the airfield.