Thief in TRANSIT?
I never saw the movie boarding gate, but i heard it was a funny movie. Many people that are well travelled know the rules of the "Boarding Gate". Most nationalities can transit for upward of 24hours on the condition that they have a ticket to another city within that period. In West Africa however, citizens of the sub region can travel between member countries VISA free for 90days.
Outside this rule however, airlines that transfer passengers from point to point without valid travel documents would be liable to pay $2,000 each!! If the Secondary carrier also refuses to carry the passenger, the 1st carrier may incur a fine.
That brings me to a funny scene that played itself a few weeks back whereby a "Thief In Transit" was caught. I had gotten reports about a syndicate that usually steals from fellow passenger's bags while on board the aircraft and constantly wonder; How do they buy a ticket (upward of 15,000 i.e $100) for a 1hr flight, and within this flight time manage to steal cash and valuables opportunistically that would be more than that. What if he/she is not successful on the 1st flight (loss?) guess he/she would buy another ticket the other direction 1 way (another 15,000).
On arrival of one of our regional flights, a passenger noticed just before clearing immigration that his wallet as well as other documents were not on him. We have seen this happen a few times only for the passenger to find said documents on his person. As he kept searching, he walked back towards the A/C that brought him and was lucky to find out that the same A/C was operating another flight. He beckoned on one of the staff and intimated him of his suspicion that the young man he sat with may have taken his wallet and documents.
On investigation and thorough search of the passenger seated next to him,it was discovered that he had Naira on him. Sir, "how come you have Naira on you?" are you not on transit? After initially denying being the culprit, he admitted that he took in when the owner left his seat. The offender was transiting onto the same A/C to ACCRA and must have been about 21yrs (he was a student in Accra,with a Cameroonian passport).
He had watched the passenger throughout the flight and struck when he was opportuned, the dilemma was if we could board him to the final destination or hold him in Lagos to face the wrath of the law for the obvious crime he had committed. He would not be charged if he had flown to Accra, as the accuser was alighting in Lagos. Other passengers at the boarding area on the connecting flight became suspicious of the drama and eventually got wind of what had happened.
In order to keep them at rest, the young Thief in Transit was offloaded, and taken to the Airport Police post. He travelled the next day under the watchful eyes of the crew and ground staff.
Please if you are travelling by air, land or sea pay attention to happenings around you. You never know what the other person has in mind oh!
