Luggage tampering scare

[Blackadder]

IT'S every traveller's worst nightmare. An Australian couple have told of their lucky escape after they fell victim to a drug scam in Bangkok that saw their bags tampered with. A woman identified as 'Georgia' told radio station 3AW the pair were about to board their flight from Bangkok to coughet when they were informed their bags were overweight.
So the couple, from Melbourne, said they went to rearrange their suitcases and noticed the straps had been cut and locks broken.
Concerned about looking through the suitcases at the airport, they went back to a hotel where they found a "handful" of marijuan_ hidden in a small bag within the suitcase.
They called the Australian embassy and say they were told to keep an eye out for anyone who may be following them. They were also advised to dump the bags, get rid of any items they don't need and to buy new suitcases.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/...ok/story-fnizu68q-1226704445532#ixzz2d3lMneTj

 

[james4321]

This is the reason why luggage wrapping has become so popular in recent years. Locks and straps dont protect the zips, the easiest way in is to open the zip teeth with a sharp point ( a pen will do it) and then rezip it shut afterwards. I bet these people wrap their bags next time !!

 

[get me outta here]

Is bag wrapping available in BKK?

 

[Timsboot]

Is bag wrapping available in BKK?

Yep - in departure area before you reach the check in desks

 

[get me outta here]

Actually, that is not going to help in this instance as they suspected it happened at the hotel.

 

[james4321]

Is bag wrapping available in BKK?

Heres a link to the Protectabag site that shows where luggage wrapping is available world wide. PROTECTABAG - Contact PROTECTABAG

 

[Blackadder]

Alternatively look at bags that have no zips, such as Delsey,etc

 

[Jack_OC]

This is the reason why luggage wrapping has become so popular in recent years. Locks and straps dont protect the zips, the easiest way in is to open the zip teeth with a sharp point ( a pen will do it) and then rezip it shut afterwards. I bet these people wrap their bags next time !!

Sorry if this is a stupid question - I can understand how it would be easy to open a zip even if it was locked, but how would they rezip it shut afterwards if the "slider" is locked and therefore can't be moved?

I also don't really understand how the reported incident was supposed to have happened. Someone above commented that it happened in the hotel before they went to the airport, but the story I read doesn't actually say that. If that was what happened though, how did they not notice the damage to their bags/locks before they got to the airport?

 

[Mal]

Sorry if this is a stupid question - I can understand how it would be easy to open a zip even if it was locked, but how would they rezip it shut afterwards if the "slider" is locked and therefore can't be moved?

I also don't really understand how the reported incident was supposed to have happened. Someone above commented that it happened in the hotel before they went to the airport, but the story I read doesn't actually say that. If that was what happened though, how did they not notice the damage to their bags/locks before they got to the airport?

With the pen trick, you can re-close the zipper. Just takes a few moves of the zipper.

As for this story. I do hmmm about it all. But if you listen to the talkback radio clip, the person suspects the hotel staff tampered with the bags.

 

[james4321]

With the pen trick, you can re-close the zipper. Just takes a few moves of the zipper.

Take a look at this video - shows you how its done. How to Open a Locked Bag (Very Useful) - YouTube

 

[Jack_OC]

Take a look at this video - shows you how its done. How to Open a Locked Bag (Very Useful) - YouTube

Ok, I see - but in this video the sliders weren't locked to anything except each other, so you can still slide them back and forth and hence you can close the bag again without removing the lock. Some bags allow you to lock the slider to a fixed point on the bag though, and if you do that I don't think it would be possible to close the zip again.

 

[MartinMemo]

Swapped from LV Hardsided (wanky, I know) because it just becmae impracticable to Samsonite - was impressed with their locks;

http://www.susmaletas.com/imagenes/...unction_spinner_samsonite_cosmolite_4136.jpeg

Locks the zips to the case (as Jack2193 says above) and you dont have to worry about losing the key.

I think a lot of luggage companies how now jumped on board with these locks

 

[james4321]

Locks the zips to the case (as Jack2193 says above) and you dont have to worry about losing the key.

As long as you have zip teeth, they are easy to open. Therefore getting in to the contents is easy. Locking the zips just means that the teeth cannot be reclosed after the theft has occurred, so you will know more quickly that you have been the victim - but it wont stop it.

 

[Danger]

What would have been the point of the small stash in a stranger's suitcase? Where would it have likely been retrieved and by who?

 

[Happy Trails]

What would have been the point of the small stash in a stranger's suitcase? Where would it have likely been retrieved and by who?

I think the expectation was that they would subsequently be 'caught' by a bogus, or corrupt, official and then extorted for money.

 

[harvyk]

What would have been the point of the small stash in a stranger's suitcase? Where would it have likely been retrieved and by who?

The point would be that if you had an idea on the strangers itinerary, you could place you stash into their suitcase thus letting them travel with it (and take the risk) then on arrival you break into said strangers hotel room and retrieve the stash.

About 20 years ago, Mum was travelling around China with her aunt and their room was broken into, they checked the bags for anything missing and Mum was clued in enough to check the bags for anything added in (which there wasn't), from memory a few days later their room (in a different city this time) their room was broken into again.

They where travelling with a tour group which had a published itin.

 

[Jack_OC]

As long as you have zip teeth, they are easy to open. Therefore getting in to the contents is easy. Locking the zips just means that the teeth cannot be reclosed after the theft has occurred, so you will know more quickly that you have been the victim - but it wont stop it.

I realise that, but virtually nothing would stop someone opening your bag if they really want to. You suggested luggage wrapping instead, but it's very easy to remove that too. The only advantage is that you would know something has happened when you retrieve your bag, but the same is true of a zip that can't be closed again.

Also, I think it's a bit like having an alarm and decent locks on your house. None of those things make it impossible for a burglar to get in, but they might make it more difficult than getting into your neighbour's house, so burglars who are just looking for an easy target go there instead.

 

[Jack_OC]

The point would be that if you had an idea on the strangers itinerary, you could place you stash into their suitcase thus letting them travel with it (and take the risk) then on arrival you break into said strangers hotel room and retrieve the stash.

That would make sense if we were talking about drugs with a high street value. However, I think the question in this case is, why would someone do all that for the sake of transporting a small stash of marijuan_? That would be worth only a few dollars. If this really happened, I think the theory about it being used by fake police to extort money sounds more plausible. The story still doesn't entirely make sense to me though.

 

[harvyk]

That would make sense if we were talking about drugs with a high street value. However, I think the question in this case is, why would someone do all that for the sake of transporting a small stash of marijuan_? That would be worth only a few dollars. If this really happened, I think the theory about it being used by fake police to extort money sounds more plausible. The story still doesn't entirely make sense to me though.

In certain parts of the world even with marijuan_ the stakes are pretty high, and assuming that you where caught taking weed over the border into AU (I don't know quite why, we seem to grow enough of the stuff here) it wouldn't be a fun experience.

 

[banger2]

The story seems to have a few holes to me too....

It was a domestic flight first up, other than the extortion possibility (but seemingly complex involving people in both coughet and Bangkok??), why would a small qty of weed be transported between these 2 cities? There are so many more simple extortion's that could have been used without this complexity in Thailand. Just get them to hire a jetski in coughet...or take a tuk tuk......or entice them to a ping pong show ( ) ....or or or or.....

Also, they left their luggage at the hotel as they ARRIVED early? Meaning they arrived early to the hotel in BKK, so left the luggage...later checked in....spent some time shopping in BKK (otherwise why would their luggage now be overweight?)...but didn't repack their luggage with shopping in the hotel before leaving for the airport to go to coughet, not noticing extra stuff in the bag?

Something not right in the reporting of this story....