17.02.2026 10:20
A security officer at the airport in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, stole 300 dollars (13 thousand TL) from a passenger's bag during a routine check and tried to hide the money by swallowing it to avoid getting caught. The incident was captured on camera second by second, and an investigation has been launched.
At Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in the Philippines, an incident occurred when a passenger noticed that money was missing from their luggage and reported it to the authorities.
STARTED TO PUT IT IN HIS MOUTH AND SWALLOW
Upon investigation, it was determined that a security officer took banknotes worth 300 dollars from the bag. The officer was then caught on camera trying to stuff three 100-dollar bills into his mouth and swallow them. The footage also included moments when he attempted to swallow the money with water.
INVESTIGATION INITIATED
Following the emergence of the security camera footage, the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) under the Philippine Department of Transportation launched an investigation into the incident. Minister Jaime Bautista announced that he had instructed for both administrative and criminal sanctions to be applied against the officers. OTS stated that despite the suspect claiming he swallowed the stolen money, it rejected this defense and announced that an administrative investigation was ongoing with other personnel suspected of collusion.
The incident has raised concerns about airport security and passenger rights. Experts, noting that such incidents could lead to a serious crisis of confidence in the aviation security chain, emphasize that monitoring mechanisms need to be tightened further.