A female screening officer from the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) stationed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 has been captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) trying to discreetly place folded bills totaling $300 into her mouth. This incident unfolded in what appears to be an attempt to conceal stolen currency from the wallet of a departing Chinese passenger.

The revealing CCTV footage is a crucial part of the official report recently released by airport authorities, shedding light on the alleged theft that transpired at one of the departure area’s final checkpoints. Notably, the x-ray operator at this checkpoint, as well as their supervisor, could potentially find themselves in trouble.

The official report provides a chronological account of events, partly based on CCTV footage, commencing at 8:18 p.m. on September 8. During this time, the departing passenger, identified as Mr. Cai, is seen placing his shoulder bag on a tray for inspection. As Cai proceeds through the Advanced Imaging Technology Machine (AITM), a female security screening officer (SSO) transports the tray containing his bag to a table for a manual search.

Suspicion arises when the SSO concludes her examination of Cai’s bag. The report details how she “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly closed.” The SSO then swiftly placed an item on her left torso/waist area before returning to the inspection table.

It’s at this juncture that Cai realizes someone has tampered with his bag. His wallet is open, and several bills, totaling $300, are missing. This prompts Cai to confront the female SSO, her supervisor, a passenger service agent, a Philippine National Police (PNP) officer, and a member of the Airport Police Department about the missing money.

Following this confrontation, an ocular inspection takes place at the departure final checkpoint. Subsequently, around 3 a.m., a thorough review of additional CCTV footage captures events at the departure final security checkpoint, starting at 8:39 p.m.

In the additional footage, the x-ray operator hands a bottle of water to the female SSO, who appears “edgy and restless.” After accepting the bottle, the SSO turns her back on the group and is “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece.” She even ignores a passing female passenger’s inquiries.

Unbeknownst to the SSO, another CCTV camera captures her actions as she attempts to swallow the money. The report notes that she struggles to do so despite having consumed the bottled water earlier.

The report reveals that the SSO’s supervisor approaches her and seems to communicate with her as she struggles to swallow the dollar bills while using her handkerchief to cover her mouth. According to the report, the supervisor’s actions appear to ensure the bills are disposed of to eliminate any evidence.

The findings in the report make it clear that “the CCTV footage clearly shows that the (suspect) SSO, with intent to gain, took the USD300 of Mr. Cai during her inspection process and was clearly in possession of the stolen money as she deliberately swallowed the paper bills to avoid getting caught.”

Furthermore, the report suggests that “the supervisor…and x-ray operator… who gave the water bottle appeared to be in connivance relative to the execution and subsequent evasion of the consequences of the SSO’s illegal act.”

However, despite these findings, the report states that Cai could not be contacted to determine whether he planned to pursue a criminal complaint against the suspects. Airport authorities made attempts to inquire about filing a criminal case on his behalf but noted Mr. Cai’s unwillingness to proceed with such action.

The report concludes by stating, “Evidently, Cai did not return to Manila after the incident and never made any contact with authorities regarding his complaint.”