Old video from Thailand shared as airport employee stealing from baggage of Haj pilgrims

हज पर जाने वाले हाजियों के बेग से चोरी करते हुऐ आप भी देखे और दूसरो को भी दिखाये ताकी हज कमेठी और एयरपोर्ट ऑथोरिटी तक यह बात पहुँचाई जा सके (See how things are being stolen from the bags of Haj pilgrims; show this to others too so that this matter reaches the Haj committee and the airport authorities- translation).

The above message has gone viral on social media along with a video clip. The 2:41 minute video shows an airport personnel opening the suitcases of passengers and rummaging through the contents.

The above post is of June 2018. The video has been viewed close to a million times so far, and shared over 48,000 times. Another post has an even bigger share count of over 69,000. However, the video has also been shared recently on Facebook.

Alt News found that the video had also been posted on Twitter in 2018.

Will @JetstarAirways tell about this video workers of jetstar airway stealing from luggage.
हज पर जाने वाले हाजियों के बेग से चोरी करते हुऐ आप भी देखे और दूसरो को भी दिखाये ताकी हज कमेठी और एयरपोर्ट ऑथोरिटी तक यह बात पहुँचाई जा सके pic.twitter.com/KCkRnDBIRh

— भारतीय (@abdulmuneeb70) July 22, 2018

Alt News also received a request on the official app for verification.

FACT CHECK: VIDEO FROM THAILAND

Alt News found that the video in question is not from India, as implied. It is from Thailand, and dates back to 2017.

Using the key words ‘airport baggage handler stealing’, Alt News found numerous reports pertaining to the incident. According to the Daily Mail UK in an article dated October 13, 2017, the incident had occurred in Phuket. The baggage handler was caught red-handed by airport security while loading luggage for a Singapore-bound flight. “He had reportedly stolen a bluetooth speaker from one of the bags, which he was made to return. The thief was unaware he was being filmed and has since been charged.”, the report stated. The incident was also reported by India Today.

According to The Nation Thailand, the culprit is Abdullah Mayeh, a 27-year old airport baggage handler at the Phuket international airport. The report states, “After the police showed the video to him, he confessed and returned the speaker to the public service department of the airport so it can return to its rightful owner. Abdullah has been charged with robbery and taken to Saku Police Station for processing.”

An old video clip showing an airport employee rummaging through the suitcases of passengers, has been shared as recent, with the false claim that the employee was stealing from the bags of Haj pilgrims. The video was shot in Phuket, Thailand.