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29 March 2024

Bribery used to oil the wheels of air cargo service

Operation uncovered when airline staff worked on off day. (FILE)

Published
By Eman Al Baik

Staff working on an off day for the purpose of freighting bags on an Emirates flight to Lagos and receiving bribes for the service, led the carrier's officials to discover a crime.

On May 8, DM, 30, Kenyan (woman) employee in Emirates Passenger Service Section wore her uniform and went to Dubai International Airport at 5am.

She had agreed with KA, 30, Nigerian, visitor, to transport eight bags for him and took a Dh1,600 bribe to do so.

DM and her colleague Agnes (woman, fugitive) then logged in to the system and chose four passengers and added the bags to their luggage. She printed the tags and placed them on the bags and handed over the second copy to KA who would collect the bags at Lagos airport.

DM's supervisor was surprised that she was in the airport working on her off day without the management's knowledge.

Suspecting her, the employee checked and investigated what she has done.

The four passengers assured that the bags were not theirs.

The flight took off and the eight bags remained at the airport in police custody. Police reached one of the real owners of the bags, Serajuddin, Nigerian.

Sirajuddin told police that Oji - a fake name used by KA with all he dealt with in Dubai - has promoted his cargo services in Naif market.

He used to charge Dh15 per kilo claiming that this was through a cargo company, said Sirajuddin.

Serajuddin gave Oji a bag of 25 kilos with garments and paid him Dh375 and was surprised that his brother in Nigeria could not collect the bag.

Police asked Serajuddin to bring Oji or KA to the airport. KA was arrested after Serajuddin recognised his bag.

KA admitted the accusation before the prosecution and said that in the last luggage freight incident he took fDh2,600 from people and paid DM Dh1,600.

He confessed that he met DM in the airport and she and her colleague Agnes have agreed to freight bags against bribe since two months before their arrest.

DM has made Emirates loose Dh 36,000 for the transport of the weight, according to the prosecution sheet.

DM and KA have confessed the accusations before the Dubai Criminal Court on Monday. However, KA denied criminal complicity accusation.

The Court adjourned the case for verdict until September 20.