[united893]

Wait what?! I’ve got so many questions.

How exactly does a Taxi driver coordinate with guards? At what point did you discover the scheme? You were nearly blackmailed and just threw away the evidence?

How does the Airport guard blackmail you? How goes he expect to get paid? Why go through this and not just blackmail the actual legitimate drug users?

[dstick]

Here's a possible scenario based on the OPs story.

Two brothers - one works as a taxi driver, the other as an airport guard.

The taxi brother inserts small packs of cocaine in the bags of his passengers. Then texts his airport guard brother a description of the passenger and bag he inserted the drug in.

The passenger arrives at the security check and his bag gets pulled out.

The airport guard finds the drugs and puts the passenger in a room somewhere in the airport. The passenger now gets an option: pay a nice bribe and board the plane, or don't and spend the night there with the option of landing in a Thai jail.

Passenger decides to opt for the bribe (at that point, who wouldn't) - even though they know full well they didn't carry any drugs.

The airport guard brother pockets the $XXXX and the passenger hightails it out of there. Scared shitless.

Brother and brother meet at a bar later and share their spoils, celebrating with a nice meal and a few too many drinks.

Rinse and repeat. Could work with nephews, friends, family - it's probably not that hard.

[john2x]

A similar thing happens in the Philippines, but with gun ammunition instead of drugs. Yes, having a single loose ammo in your luggage at the airport can land you in jail. It got so bad that passengers would wrap their entire luggage with duct tape or cellophane to make sure the guards at the airport won't sneak one in. In fact, airports actually have cellophane dispensers so passengers can wrap them at the airport in case they forget to do it at home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Ninoy_Aquino_Internationa...

[rootsudo]

They removed the legal penalties of of the bullet scam now it's a stern talking to and once they believe you have no evidence of using a gun/ammo, they hunt down the guards.

The CCTV, X-ray machines and general security theater is an extension project of the DHS, that posted warnings of NAIA used that to force NAIA to upgrade it's security theater alongside immigration.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2019/08/08/department-homeland-secu...

[kilroy123]

I've traveled a lot in the past 6 years, living abroad. Absolutely, wrap your bag if you can. Just watch what the locals are doing. If the majority are doing this, do the same.

[wodenokoto]

I've always wondered why some travellers wrap their bags

[megous]

And now you end up with "attempted bribery" charges on top, that may actually stick even if you can prove the cocaine story.

[Scapeghost]

Are you honestly legitimately surprised?

All this is very common in third world countries. We continually prey upon each other in the best of times and heaven help any sheltered foreigner who happens to walk around with their guard down.

[chao-]

The first time I encountered this I was legitimately surprised. I have since accepted it as "a thing that just is" when traveling, but I suspect the same is true for united893: they are lucky enough to have never needed to think through this kind of scenario until now.

[pgt]

Where do you live?

Here in South Africa if you rent a car at Johannesburg airport, the corrupt metro police are waiting for you at the airport exit to "fine" you for "incorrect driving" or having the wrong licence. Easy for locals to dodge, but foreigners who respect a uniform easily pay the ransom.

[toong]

I don't know, but something along these lines:

The airport guard searches your bag, finds the cocaine and proposes you pay a hefty sum to make the problem go away. The taxi driver gets his cut for planting the evidence.