New Delhi: In a bizarre incident, an airport security officer was caught swallowing $300 on camera.
The Security Screening Officer, who was on duty at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Philippines capital Manila, was hurriedly trying to somehow dispose of the cash which she allegedly stole from a Chinese passenger.
According to CNN Philippines, the incident took place at Terminal 1 of the airport on September 8.
A viral video of the incident shows the security officer stuffing the cash into her mouth, pouring water and using a finger to push the currency bills into her mouth. The woman is also seen covering her mouth with a handkerchief.
Watch the video clip shared by users on X:
I guess that’s one way to steal money. 🤔
A screening officer at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines is being investigated for allegedly taking $300 from a passenger. CCTV footage captured her concealing something in her waist and trying to swallow folded… pic.twitter.com/YRZvA5Y8oo
— Jacob in Cambodia 🇺🇸 🇰🇭 (@jacobincambodia) September 23, 2023
The Office for Transportation Security (OTS), responsible for the security of the transportation systems of the country, posted a statement about the incident on its Facebook page.
The identity of the security officer involved was established and the gathering of evidence was on, it said.
“Upon receipt of the information about the recent allegations of theft involving a Security Screening Officer at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, where a cash amounting to 300 US dollars went missing, the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) took actions to validate the information and launch its fact-finding investigation,” Office for Transportation Security (OTS) said in a statement.
Officials said four screening officers, including the woman, were placed under suspension while an investigation is on, CNN reported.
The case is being investigated by OTS, Manila International Airport Authority and Philippine National Police Aviation Security.
According to a report in South China Morning Post, the female officer took the money from a passenger’s hand bag when the person was undergoing an X-ray scan.
OTS said that the incident does not reflect the “code of conduct for civil servants, much more of the core values” that its members uphold.
