Suvarnabhumi Airport has reported passengers clandestinely brought animals onto a flight bound for Taiwan. Upon inspection through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, two foreign passengers were found to have passed the bag through the X-Ray scanner on Thursday around 13:45, with suspicious items detected.
A staff member analyzing the images had concerns and sent the bag to another staff member for a manual inspection to determine whether the suspicious items posed any danger or were prohibited. Surprisingly, the staff member did not carry out the bag inspection and allowed the passengers to proceed through the checkpoint and board the flight.
Suvarnabhumi Airport emphasized that the technology used in the airport’s security checkpoints operates according to standards, and the procedures for checking prohibited items are clearly defined. However, this incident occurred due to the failure of the bag inspection staff to follow the prescribed procedures.
As a result, orders were issued for the staff member involved in this incident to cease work immediately and will be subject to legal penalties if the investigation reveals a violation of standard operating procedures.
An otter was seen on the Thai Vietjet flight from Suvarnabhumi to Taipei. A later search by officials found that about 20 Burmese star tortoises a snake, two otters, a prairie dog and two black giant squirrels had been carried on board.
Suvarnabhumi Airport issued a warning to both Thai and foreign travelers, urging them not to break the law by secretly transporting animals or animal carcasses on flights entering or leaving the country.
If travelers wish to bring pets on a journey, they should obtain the necessary permits to do so; otherwise, they risk legal consequences under both Thai and international laws, including fines and imprisonment. (TNA)
