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Beware of mainly Ah Neh touts at Changi Airport

saratogas

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The next time you travel by plane, you may be approached to take on extra luggage.

Despite efforts at enforcement, baggage touts have been waiting at the check-in aisles of flights leaving Singapore for places like Chennai, Sri Lanka and Yangon.

They target travellers with small or lighter bags and ask them to take on pieces of bulky luggage to check in as their own, in exchange for cash payment of between $5 and $10 per kilogram. These items include electronic goods such as large-screen TVs and computers, dropped off outside the departure hall by a driver in a delivery van.

Aged between their 30s and their 40s, the mostly-male touts travel together in groups of five or more.

They will accompany the passenger who agrees to take on the goods to check in and hand the money over either once the item passes through smoothly, or on occasion, when the item has arrived at its destination securely.

The touts also approach passengers who looked like they were carrying too much luggage, offering to take on their excess baggage for about $12 per kilogram, instead of the usual $15 charged by most airlines.

“It’s not a nice thing to see, especially in our posh airport,” said businessman James Nair, 45, a Singaporean. “And it’s a problem that’s been getting worse recently,” he added, speaking to The Sunday Times.

One traveller, foreign worker Raj Rajan, 29, saw it as a way to make a quick buck. He checked in a 20-kilogram TV set and received $150 when he was cleared for the flight.

He felt the immediate benefits outweighed the danger of potentially carrying contraband items as he needed the cash. But he changed his tune in the middle of the interview when interrupted by a tout, saying, “Sorry, I’m carrying this for my uncle.”

Importer Aung Soe, 35, another outbound traveller, said he was approached by touts twice so far this year but had told them off each time.

“I want to have a peaceful flight and not be worried about what the boxes might hold,” he said. “I could be in deep trouble if it were drugs or something else as bad.”

Changi Airport Group said it is aware of the existence of these touts and that airport auxiliary police (Certis CISCO) conducts anti-touting patrols regularly at its four terminals. People who are found offering baggage-pooling deals are issued stern warnings, with repeat offenders being handed over to the police.

Officers have issued warning letters to five offenders and four others were passed on to the police this year. Carrying another person’s luggage is not illegal but people caught touting in public places can be fined between $1,000 and $5,000 and could also be jailed up to six months.

“The airport remains vigilant and is working closely with the relevant agencies to monitor such activities,” said a Changi Airport spokesperson. “We remind travellers to refrain from accepting items from other travellers in their baggage as these may be contraband items.”
 

melzp

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I still dont get it. Only now they realize it??

I remember my trip to Jkt at SriWijaya, with touts in awaiting.

So long as Certis are there, anywhere they can be bought over.
 

Kohliantye

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Changi Airport is one of the best in the world. It is heavily used by airlines and travellers.
If this is true (presence of touts), then our Airport's authorities should act immediately and put an end to this malpractice. Such behaviour brings disgrace to the Airport.
In an airport, with cameras mounted at all corners and strategic place, except public toilets (hopefully it won't be mounted here in the name of security), why is it that those security personnels sitting in the "observation rooms" are not aware of such a "third world behaviour" in a first world nation. It seems that the priority of the auxiliary police (security guards) are only for the vehicles that let off passengers and their baggages outside the Departure areas. If the poor drivers are a little late, the uniformed security guards will pounce on them. Sadly, these guards seems not to know what is going on inside the check-in counters. I certainly hope that these security guards are not in cahoots with the syndicates involved. The CPIB must descend on the airport and conduct its own enquiries.
If these security personnels are really linked to the syndicates, then our airport is going to be in serious trouble. It is a question of reputation and security. Recently two airport security guards were convicted in court for allowing overstayers to board an Air France plane out of Singapore. All this for $$$$$!!. Are we trying to say that such malpractices have stopped?
Next is the question of security for the "carrier" of the goods. What if those baggages he / she carries for those touts contains items like controlled drugs or other dangerous items. He or she has a lot to explain in court. The onus of proof lies on him / her.
The foreign workers who are easily lured by these syndicates because of extra money fail to realise that the touts would also "milk them" of whatever they are being paid as an additional fee. It is a business world. No one cares for anyone, except for their own pockets. Remind me of Jack Neo's movie, Money No Enough.
I therefore call upon the Singapore Police Force, ISD, CPIB, Customs and Immigration Departments to look into this disgraceful practice at such a sensitive place like the Airport and bring to task the Airport Authorities if such a thing is truly going on under their noses.
 

Alamaking

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Think they do it to their own kind, those Calcutta, Mombai flights, if they touch my lugguage, they will die, lol
 

johnny333

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If these security personnels are really linked to the syndicates, then our airport is going to be in serious trouble. It is a question of reputation and security. Recently two airport security guards were convicted in court for allowing overstayers to board an Air France plane out of Singapore. All this for $$$$$!!. Are we trying to say that such malpractices have stopped?.


If the problem has reached this stage then someone at the top has been sleeping on the job. With so many foreigners now working in Spore I suspect many of the older Sporeans have been replaced by cheaper FT.

PAP took for granted the Spore work ethic. We will now see the true cost of cheapening the "Spore brand" with cheap workers from the third world:rolleyes:
 

LeeLaoPeh

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Never takes bags for other peoples at customs ! Last time many peoples think they helpful to take bag of old peoples but it is actualy contain drug .
 

zeddy

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Most of the Auxillary Police Officers on duty at Changi Airport are mostly Malaysians... Few years back, my Brother in law lost his HP at Changi Airport.. He frantically try calling the no of his Hp.. On the 6th attempt, someone picked up the call from his phone and the man told my Bro in law to meet him at the T2.. I followed him and we proceded to the T2... There stood an elderly local Malay uncle who found the phone of my Bro in law... The Malay uncle was a cleaner working there and I really do admire his honesty and integrity.. My bro in law thanked him and offered him $50 but he refused to take the money.. In the end, my Bro in law asked the man for his name and his contact no.. Then few days later, my Bro in law sent an email to the man's employer and commented him for his honesty...
 

streetsmart73

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If the problem has reached this stage then someone at the top has been sleeping on the job. With so many foreigners now working in Spore I suspect many of the older Sporeans have been replaced by cheaper FT.

PAP took for granted the Spore work ethic. We will now see the true cost of cheapening the "Spore brand" with cheap workers from the third world:rolleyes:


hi there


1. aiyoh!
2. not to mention that cctv capturing every corner of the airport.
3. and yet such thing is "undetected" or what.
4. some people must be sleeping rich, man!
 

johnny333

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hi there


1. aiyoh!
2. not to mention that cctv capturing every corner of the airport.
3. and yet such thing is "undetected" or what.
4. some people must be sleeping rich, man!


We frequently hear that these CCTV cameras are not working especially in MRT stations.:eek: Which leads me to suspect that many cameras are dummys OR someone has pocketede the $$$ that was supposed to pay for these cameras :o
 

scbccb

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Halo nowadays lots of 3rd world chew hoo kias manning the rooms you think they give a damn about your airport image?
shrug.gif


why is it that those security personnels sitting in the "observation rooms" are not aware of such a "third world behaviour" in a first world nation. It seems that the priority of the auxiliary police (security guards) are only for the vehicles that let off passengers and their baggages outside the Departure areas. If the poor drivers are a little late, the uniformed security guards will pounce on them. Sadly, these guards seems not to know what is going on inside the check-in counters. I certainly hope that these security guards are not in cahoots with the syndicates involved. The CPIB must descend on the airport and conduct its own enquiries.
 

blackmore

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So long as Certis are there, anywhere they can be bought over.

This statement is all so true, for the past decades, you hear about corruption, bribery, suicide on the news about them. What about those cases that never reach the media. Most of this buggers will stoop to anything to earn an extra buck or too.
 

fukyuman

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Fuckers here got too much comments on old news. Been going on since Paya Lebar airport days. Then they give you free holidays expenses if you carry barangs for them. Some touts became very rich that even young airport girls noticed and become their wives. The courier business is built on the same concept. One ticket courier with the baggage containing everyone else barangs. Used to go Bangkok on free trips Saturday to Sunday. Now no more, DHL and others now ship via express freight.
 

Ramseth

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Before budget airlines, I used to fly on courier tickets. Available from Golden Mile then. About S$150 to and fro Bangkok, S$500 to and fro Tokyo (Narita) and S$800 to and fro US (SF or LA). Those days the S$ rates were very much lower and those fares were very cheap at abou 50% discount to market. The courier ticket had the restriction of no check-in luggage. They'd use your check-in allowance for whatever they wanted to send. There's no worry about drugs or contrabands. It was legal company and legal separation of passenger seat from luggage allowance.
 
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