Baggage claim: International theives have been operating at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo / Wolfgang Kaehler, Getty Images
Thai airports are cracking down on career criminals targeting airport carousels, making two separate arrests in a week.
A man accused of stealing thousands of dollars-worth of valuables from airports around the world has been arrested in Bangkok airport.
Belgian national Patrick Coulier, 57, was captured on CCTV lifting luggage from a carousel at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok.
He can be seen wearing a yellow jersey in images released by Thai Border Police.
The footage shows him returning for another piece of luggage, swapping it for his original claim.
What could have appeared to be a mistake came under closer scrutiny after Chinese tourist Cai Zhe contacted airport police to say his luggage containing $4700 worth of personal possessions had gone missing at the airport.
After closer inspection of the footage Royal Thai Immigration Police issued a warrant for the man's arrest. Returning to the airport on a flight to Vietnam later that week, Coulier was arrested.
"The Belgian man was preparing to leave the country when we caught him," Major General Teenpon Kuptanon from Thailand police said to The Sun newspaper.
"He confessed that he stole the luggage and was detained for further legal proceedings."
It is believe that the man had passed through the airport on at least 27 other occasions and had been linked to similar thefts from luggage claims around the world.
More than opportunism, this theft and others like it are becoming increasingly common.
Due to the cheap cost of air travel and the comparative value of luggage passing though airports, it appears career criminals have been riding planes with the aim of plundering luggage claims.
Thai airports are aware of the growing problem.
At the end of last year the Thai Ombudsman's office told Airports of Thailand (AoT) to improve security to prevent thefts of checked luggage.
At Ombudsman Wittawat Ratchatanan's request the country's six international airports were to improve screening staff for criminal records and increase close circuit TV coverage of luggage sorting areas.
Installing 196 additional CCTV units across airports has improved vigilance over areas where theft is likely occur.
On January 22 a German Tourist was arrested at the Cambodian border and charged with stealing airport luggage.
He allegedly took the luggage of a passenger travelling arriving from the UK to Suvarnabhumi airport on December 13.
The incident appears to be captured on CCTV footage from luggage claim, depicting a man wearing blue lifting the missing items off of a carousel.
"Michael Jeorg, 39, was apprehended at Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint in Trat on Saturday," said Suvarnabhumi deputy general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn during a media conference on Tuesday.
The Bangkok Post reported that Thai police had received a confession from Mr Jeorg, admitting to this incident and other similar thefts from the luggage claim at Suvarnhabumi Airport. The repeat offender admitted to selling the stolen property before attempting to leave the country via the land border with Cambodia.
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