You would think that after the constant flight delays and news about their crew members (including pilots) being caught taking illegal narcotics, public opinion for Lion Air could not possibly get any lower. But the airline has found a way to do that with its latest scandal.
On Saturday, the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police arrested four Lion Air baggage porters suspected of breaking into passengers’ checked baggage and stealing valuable items.
The police first received complaints about possible stolen items from checked baggage last November. On Saturday evening, authorities finally caught four Lion Air porters in the act through CCTV cameras at the airport.
One of the suspects, who was identified by his initial S, admitted to the crime but said that the act has been a long-standing tradition at Soekarno-Hatta and also involves airport security personnel.
“At first I didn’t want to steal, but the others threatened to beat me up if I don’t steal, so I went along with it. They said that we’d split the earnings [from the stolen goods] evenly,” S told reporters, as quoted by Sindonews yesterday.
S added that airport security guards often served as the lookout when porters break open passengers’ luggage in concealed areas of the airport.
The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police say investigation into the case are ongoing as they hope to flush out and identify the brains behind the criminal operation.
Lion Air’s head of public relations, Andy Saladin, said the airline is leaving the handling of the case up to the police.
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