Singapore Airport Employee Accused of Swapping Luggage Tags

When traveling, there are few things more annoying than showing up at baggage claim and waiting 20 minutes (or more) to realize your luggage didn't make it on your flight. Unfortunately for some 280-plus travelers, Tay Boon Keh, a baggage handler at Changi Airport in Singapore, ensured that many bags would not end up at their final destination — with pieces of luggage arriving in various (wrong) places.

Keh, 63, an employee of Lian Cheng Contracting, a subcontractor of the airport, allegedly began a crime of switching baggage tags in November 2016, according to The Straits Times. Authorities believe the tag-swapper continued manipulating the baggage everyday for three or four months — until this February, 2017, when he was caught. Keh is being charged with 286 counts of mischief.

In response to Keh's motives,Changi Airport has said that this was an isolated event and that there was no breach of aviation security. In a statement to The Straits Times, a spokesman stated that the airport has added enhanced access control and patrols have been stepped up as well.

The bag that began Keh's spree of mischief had an intended destination of Penang and was to be transported on a Singapore Airlines flight. Other airlines that had to deal with Keh's mischief include SilkAir and Lufthansa; the bags affected were supposed to arrive in London, Hong Kong, Manila and Perth.

In court last week, Keh, who was unrepresented, did not discuss any motive for his crimes. The court reported that Keh plans to plead guilty and if convicted of mischief, he could be jailed for up to one year and fined for each of the 286 charges against him.

Image by AFP /Getty Images

H/T: The Straits Times