Singapore Baggage Handler Jailed for 20 Days for Swapping Luggage Tags on 300 Suitcases
Suitcases originally bound for various parts of the world, including Perth, Manila, Frankfurt, London and San Francisco, were affected, according to court documents. The bags belonged to passengers transiting through Changi and using Singapore Airlines and its regional wing SilkAir.
Singapore, November 12: A Singaporean baggage handler has been jailed for 20 days for swapping tags on nearly 300 suitcases at the city-state's airport, causing them to end up at wrong destinations around the world. Tay Boon Keh, 66, had pleaded guilty to charges of swapping the tags on 286 bags at Changi Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs.
He made the swaps between November 2016 and February 2017 out of "frustration and anger" after his request for additional staff at his work section was ignored, a district court heard. Suitcases originally bound for various parts of the world, including Perth, Manila, Frankfurt, London and San Francisco, were affected, according to court documents. Going for Direct Flights May Help in Making Air Travel Sustainable.
The bags belonged to passengers transiting through Changi and using Singapore Airlines and its regional wing SilkAir. Tay was suffering from major depressive disorder when he committed the offences, the court heard. But state prosecutors said evidence presented at a hearing showed his condition "did not contribute significantly to his commission of the offences" as he continued to have control over his actions.
Prosecutor Thiam Jia Min said the swapping could have caused "potentially, even serious or fatal, consequences" as some passengers could have been left without medications. Changi handled nearly 65.6 million passengers last year.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 12, 2019 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
