[clarabell]

Hiya,
as some of you may know, we fly out to NZ (for a holiday) on the 18th Dec via Bangkok.
In light of recent tv broadcastings of the apparently innocent Ozzy woman in jail for drug smuggling, we have been wondering about our own bags (of clothes!).

The stop off is only for 2 hours so I presume our bags wouldnt even leave the plane. A friend has told us of people who wrap their bags in clingfilm so it is evident if their bags have been tampered with. Has anyone else heard of or tried this?
Do drug smugglers choose random bags or do they seek out dodgy looking characters? (we dont fit this description btw, at least I hope not, and we'll have two young kids with us!)
Would this even be a problem with a two hour stop off?
I know I run the risk of sounding extremely naive but I know nothing of how drug smugglers operate. Mind you, Id rather come across as a bit thick and be safe than end up in a Thai jail! :uhoh

[Timbo]

Clarabell. If a drug smuggler were to choose a piece of luggage almost at random, then stash something in it for you to smuggle on their behalf, how would they then retrieve the goods?
No, I for one do not believe 9 out of 10 of these " well someone must have put it there" stories. I reckon you should be safe with respect to smugglers, but do be on your guard for some pretty clever thieving.

[clarabell]

Yes, youre right. Told you I was a bit naive!! ;) Just a bit paranoid really.

Thanks for the tip regarding the theives. :P

[Timbo]

If my memeory serves me, a forum member suffered the loss of a video cam along with holiday footage whilst haveing a head massage during a stopover in Thailand. They apparently put a towel over your head for the massage, and hey, abracadabra.......no camera etc.

[Radders]

I believe you can get your suitcases cling-filmed at the airport before check-in. I lock all my suitcases - although I believe you're not supposed to going in to the US

[Tanya]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?o_id=15&ObjectID=10126631

Secure luggage with a combination lock or have it wrapped in plastic at the airport. Baggage Services, a shop on the ground floor of the Auckland Airport terminal offers a polythene-wrapping service. (Some destinations, including the United States, require that luggage is not locked.)

Tanya

[Glenda]

Will confirm that the USA wants suitcases to be left unlocked. Also, any boxes etc. in the suitcase. My son had a cash box which he placed his prized coin collection. US customs found it and forced it open, oblivious of the keys left alongside. We knew it was them as they taped it up with their own branded tape.

[selchie]

We have soft suitcases, and were told it was OK to lock them - more permeable to X-rays, perhaps? No, they didn't slice through to riffle through our stuff, though I wondered if they might.

Glenda - I hope your son's coin collection is intact.

[Miffy]

The drug case you are refering to happened when Corby flew from Australia to Bali. She claims that she had nothing to do with it and the baggage handlers in Australia (Brisbane I think) had put it in her case by mistake instead of the planned / arranged case.

You can lock up your case or you could cover the with wrap (but I think this would make it difficult for the baggage handlers to lift) or put plastic zip ties around the locks, customs can git in easy and you can see if its been tampered with if you are stopped. Or tape over the locks / claspsso you can see if its been tampered with.

I think you are more likely to get things taken from the bag than stuff being put into the bag. All valuables (Jewlery etc) along with money and documents etc should go in your hand luggage and you just need to be vigilent keep it on you and don't leave your bag unattended ever - if you do leave your bag either stuff will nicked from it or more likely these days the authorties will take it and do a controlsed explostion on it. :eek :eek :laugh :laugh

But to be honest I don't think you've got much to worry about.

[clarabell]

Were leaving from Standtead, Ill find out if they do the clingfilm wrapping there. Cheers for that. We'll be taking backpacks, so i think we'll use the cable tie idea too, cheers for that little tip as well.

I left the same post on the uk2nz forum too, but it looks like its been removed, strange. :roll:

[baboonworld]

Emirates (in Dubai) have a place in the Airport to shrink wrap your luggage - good idea i think.

I would unpack my suitcase in front of the check-in staff and repack it to show that no drugs are packed!

I wouldnt be too worried about the drugs in your bag - its the ones shoved up your a**e you should be concerned about! :eek

[clarabell]

I wouldnt be too worried about the drugs in your bag - its the ones shoved up your a**e you should be concerned about! :eek

Damn! You got me!! :mrgreen: