X-ray machine at airport ‘eats’ $20,000

An old con artist’s trick apparently cost a Japanese journalist $20,000 in cash after the black shoulder bag he had put through the x-ray machine at the Manila Domestic Airport (MDA) yesterday morning failed to emerge on the other side.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in investigating the disappearance of the bag belonging to Akira Maki, 45, of Kamata, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.

Maki is a correspondent of the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) and his bag disappeared from the MDA at 6:23 a.m. yesterday.

"Only in the Philippines (will) you find a money-eating x-ray machine inside the airport," Maki told his Filipino companions after the incident.

Maki put his bag through the airport’s x-ray machine as part of the airport’s security check just hours before he was scheduled to board Air Philippines Flight 2P-533 at 8 a.m., along with journalists Enrico Enpaynado and Dave Lagman.

Knowing his bag contained a hefty amount of cash, Maki, as was later shown from the MIAA’s closed-circuit television camera that recorded the incident, had been closely watching his bag go through the machine while he was being frisked by plainclothes officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and security guards.

Just before the bag disappeared, Maki was distracted by the sound of clattering coins hitting the airport floor near him. Maki said he then looked back at the x-ray machine and waited — but the bag never came out.

MIAA assistant general manager for security and emergency services retired general Angel Atutubo said all MDA security personnel on duty during the morning shift yesterday are now under investigation as a result of the incident.

Atutubo said the NBI will help the MDA security office submit its personnel to polygraph or lie-detector tests.

Maki arrived from Japan Friday night and was here to cover the reported presence of Japanese Imperial Army stragglers from World War II in General Santos City.

All flights from Manila to General Santos City were fully booked, so Maki had to take the Air Philippines flight to Cagayan de Oro and proceed to General Santos City by land from there.

"Upon arrival at the terminal, we placed our bags at the x-ray. I was keeping a tight watch on my bag as it underwent the x-ray machine," Maki said in his complaint to the MIAA. "Even while I was being frisked, my eyes were glued to my bag. Then I heard the clatter of coins that were dropped on the floor. Whether intentionally or not, I do not know.

"The sound distracted me, causing me to take my eyes off my bag," he also said. "When I looked at the surveillance monitor, my bag was no longer there. So I waited for it to come out of the x-ray but it did not."

MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi said that a thorough probe will be conducted: "I have ordered General Andres Caro, chief of the PNP-Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) that has direct supervision on all the personnel manning the x-ray machine security check, to conduct the investigation and come out with the result as soon as possible."

According to Superintendent Francisco Balagtas, chief of the second Police Center for Aviation Security (PCSA) in charge of security for the MDA Terminal, they are following leads taken from the surveillance camera video.

"This is an isolated case, Maki might had been victimized by a ‘salisi’ gang operating at the airport or his bag was mistakenly picked up by another passenger that followed him," Balagtas said.

MIAA assistant general manager for operations and senior duty supervisor at the time of the incident Octavio Lina said it was a busy time at the MDA when the incident occurred.

However, MIAA officials admitted that only the security people at the domestic airport’s x-ray area had access to Maki’s bag after it disappeared.

Maki failed to take his flight to Cagayan de Oro due to the incident. After giving his statement to investigators, Maki proceeded to the Japanese embassy to obtain medicine to treat an asthma attack, probably brought on by the stress caused by the loss of his bag.