Manila Airport Screening Officer Caught Swallowing Stolen Cash on Camera

In a shocking incident at Manila's international airport, a screening officer identified as Irency Morados was caught on camera swallowing US$300 worth of cash stolen from a passenger's wallet. 

The incident, which occurred on September 8, was captured by an airport security camera.

Footage from the camera showed Morados pushing the stolen bills into her mouth and then drinking water from a bottle handed to her by a fellow operator. Her supervisor, Abraham de Luna, was also seen in the video, attempting to talk to her as she appeared to choke while trying to swallow the money and covering her mouth with a handkerchief.

According to a report by the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), the money was taken from the wallet of a passenger who had handed over his shoulder bag to Morados before going through a full-body scan. The passenger later noticed the missing money and confronted those in the screening area.

The OTS report revealed that Morados began swallowing the bills in an attempt to avoid getting caught. However, she didn't realize she was facing a security camera while stuffing the money into her mouth.

Authorities suspect her supervisor, Abraham de Luna, of being involved in the scam, as he was seen approaching Morados, seemingly to ensure the bills were disposed of to remove any evidence.

Philippine airport authorities have ordered charges to be filed against Morados, and Transportation Minister Jaime Bautista is seeking the maximum penalty for her. This incident marks the third highly publicized theft case at Manila's airport in 2023, prompting the OTS to instruct personnel to stop wearing jackets and remove pockets from their uniforms to curb such incidents.