5 baggage handlers at Noi Bai airport arrested for unlocking checked suitcases to steal property

On September 12, the leader of Soc Son District Police (Hanoi) said that the unit had initiated a case and prosecuted Pham Van Truong (33 years old), Nguyen Minh Thao (29 years old, all residing in Long Bien, Hanoi), Tran Van Thanh (31 years old, residing in Nghe An), Pham Van Tuan (27 years old), Nguyen Van Thinh (29 years old, all residing in Soc Son) to investigate the act of property theft.

All five people are baggage handlers at Noi Bai International Airport.

According to the investigation, on August 23, Noi Bai Airport Police Station received a complaint from Ms. NMA (German nationality) about her flight from Hanoi to Cam Ranh at Terminal T1 of Noi Bai Airport on August 22. She checked in a red suitcase as her luggage.

When she arrived at the hotel in Cam Ranh, Ms. A. found her suitcase unlocked.

Checking the property inside, she discovered that it was missing a set of white wireless headphones and 500 euros in cash.

Noi Bai Airport Police Station then stepped in to verify and search for the culprit.

After more than half a day, the police have created a portrait of the group of suspects.

At the police station, the group confessed that on August 22, five people worked the same shift. Their task was to load and unload passengers' checked baggage at Terminal T1.

Before carrying out the mission, the group discussed and agreed that during the process of transporting checked luggage, they would steal any suitcases that were easy to unlock. They protected and kept watch for each other to unlock and steal.

At around 12:10 p.m. the same day, discovering that Ms. A's suitcase lock was not secure, he pulled the lock and stole the property inside.

Thinh kept the headphones for his own use. The 500 euros he exchanged for 12.6 million VND were divided among the five employees.

At the police station, the group confessed that with similar methods, they had successfully carried out many previous thefts.