Caught on CCTV: NAIA Screening Officer Stuffed $300 Inside Her Mouth in Alleged Theft

(SPOT.ph) A female security screening officer (SSO) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was caught on CCTV stuffing U.S. $300 (around P17,000) worth of cash into her mouth when she was suspected of stealing from a departing Chinese passenger.

"The CCTV footage clearly shows that the SSO, with intent to gain, took the USD300...during her inspection process and was clearly in the possession of the stolen money as she deliberately swallowed the paper bills to avoid getting caught," it said in official report of the incident as reported by Manila Bulletin.

It can be recalled that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) issued a “no pocket policy” for security personnel in March following several incidents of passenger theft. This bans security screening officers from wearing jackets and uniforms with pockets.

Also read: NAIA Security Personnel Are Now Banned From Wearing Jackets, Uniform with Pockets

Bypassing "no pocket policy" at NAIA

The official report by the Airport Police Department said the incident occurred on September 8 at around 8:20 p.m.

Based on the CCTV footage, the Chinese passenger called Cai was seen placing his shoulder bag on the inspection tray for the final checkpoint. As he passed through the Advanced Imaging Technology Machine (AITM), the screening officer was rummaging through his shoulder bag on the table as part of her “manual search.”

APD's report noted that she “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly-closed...She then swiftly placed something on her left torso/waist area, and went back to the inspection table."

The complaint was brought to authorities when Cai noticed his wallet was open with missing cash. He confronted the screening officer.

In her panic, she turned her back on Cai to swallow the bills, only to face another CCTV that caught everything on camera. The report noted that she was “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece” while using a handkerchief to cover her mouth.

Her supervisor might be in on it too, as she was seen approaching the security screening officer to “apparently ensure that the bills are dispatched to preclude any evidence” as per the report.

What the Office for Transportation Security has to say about the incident

The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) continues to investigate the matter, but it was reported that Cai refused to file a formal complaint before leaving for his flight.

“Noong ma-report ‘yung unang insidente ng nakawan sa security screening checkpoint, hindi tayo nagdalawang isip tanggalin sa ating hanay, at sampahan ng kaso yung mga anay na sumisira sa imahe ng gobyerno. Iniutos rin natin yung removal ng jackets at ng bulsa ng kanilang uniform, as a preventive measure para maiwasan yung nakawan, pero it seems na mayroon pang iilan na natitirang hindi gumagawa ng maganda,” OTS Undersecretary Ma. O Aplasca said in a statement.

Also read: NAIA, ENHYPEN, and "Unprofessional Behavior": A Short History