Tough security at gate for UA flight IAH-LHR
Dec 18, 2014, 10:27 am
#1
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Tough security at gate for UA flight IAH-LHR
So for the first time ever I was thinking....what is this about.
Yesterday I flew on UA985 from Houston to London.
After our boarding passes were scanned, we walked through the walkway and there we are met by the K9 Police unit and up to 8 TSA officers.
We all had to put our hand luggage against one wall and stand on the other side. The TSA were were extremely strict with their voice and all of us just wondered what is going on.
Well, the sniffer dog did his job where the policeman pointed at every single bag for the dog. Well....all of them cleared in my group and we entered the plane and all went well. Same thing happened to everyone else
Still....I've come by these random checks where dogs just walked up and down whilst we stand in line to board a plane or after getting off, but this one was rather extreme. Maybe I'm just not used to this since I'm from Norway.
Has this ever happened to you guys?
Yesterday I flew on UA985 from Houston to London.
After our boarding passes were scanned, we walked through the walkway and there we are met by the K9 Police unit and up to 8 TSA officers.
We all had to put our hand luggage against one wall and stand on the other side. The TSA were were extremely strict with their voice and all of us just wondered what is going on.
Well, the sniffer dog did his job where the policeman pointed at every single bag for the dog. Well....all of them cleared in my group and we entered the plane and all went well. Same thing happened to everyone else
Still....I've come by these random checks where dogs just walked up and down whilst we stand in line to board a plane or after getting off, but this one was rather extreme. Maybe I'm just not used to this since I'm from Norway.
Has this ever happened to you guys?
Dec 19, 2014, 9:55 am
#2
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So for the first time ever I was thinking....what is this about.
Yesterday I flew on UA985 from Houston to London.
After our boarding passes were scanned, we walked through the walkway and there we are met by the K9 Police unit and up to 8 TSA officers.
We all had to put our hand luggage against one wall and stand on the other side. The TSA were were extremely strict with their voice and all of us just wondered what is going on.
Well, the sniffer dog did his job where the policeman pointed at every single bag for the dog. Well....all of them cleared in my group and we entered the plane and all went well. Same thing happened to everyone else
Still....I've come by these random checks where dogs just walked up and down whilst we stand in line to board a plane or after getting off, but this one was rather extreme. Maybe I'm just not used to this since I'm from Norway.
Has this ever happened to you guys?
Yesterday I flew on UA985 from Houston to London.
After our boarding passes were scanned, we walked through the walkway and there we are met by the K9 Police unit and up to 8 TSA officers.
We all had to put our hand luggage against one wall and stand on the other side. The TSA were were extremely strict with their voice and all of us just wondered what is going on.
Well, the sniffer dog did his job where the policeman pointed at every single bag for the dog. Well....all of them cleared in my group and we entered the plane and all went well. Same thing happened to everyone else
Still....I've come by these random checks where dogs just walked up and down whilst we stand in line to board a plane or after getting off, but this one was rather extreme. Maybe I'm just not used to this since I'm from Norway.
Has this ever happened to you guys?
CBP often handles outbound flights in the jetway checking passports, bags, asking about money etc.
Just curious.
Dec 19, 2014, 7:43 pm
#3
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The most common reason for these outbound jetbridge searches is that they were looking for undeclared cash being smuggled out of the country. CBP catches people all the time. They might have gotten a tip that somebody on your flight might attempt to do so. The dogs are trained to detect large amounts of currency--in fact, they even can detect large amounts the used to be in a suitcase, even if no longer there!
More uncommonly, sometimes DHS/TSA gets a tip about a potential security risk, and they decide to have a secondary jetbridge search of carry-on luggage.
More uncommonly, sometimes DHS/TSA gets a tip about a potential security risk, and they decide to have a secondary jetbridge search of carry-on luggage.
Dec 20, 2014, 10:23 am
#4
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FlyingHoustonian: Maybe you're right. There may have been CBP officers there as well, only I didn't notice them. Though it was that specific TSA officer..(saw it on the shirt), that was shouting out what needed to be done.
ESpen36: Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought of that one!
ESpen36: Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought of that one!
Dec 20, 2014, 10:29 am
#5
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You should see some US bound China flights...
X-ray bags at the entrance to the airport, regular security screening, additional security screening to enter US bound flights area, Passport check at gate, bag search once you scan you BP to board, and (if you get lucky) random pat downs at the door to the plane. lol.
Usually they have some kind of extra screenings for US flights from China but that day was just plain nuts. If you had liquids you bought in the airport they were making you toss it as well.
X-ray bags at the entrance to the airport, regular security screening, additional security screening to enter US bound flights area, Passport check at gate, bag search once you scan you BP to board, and (if you get lucky) random pat downs at the door to the plane. lol.
Usually they have some kind of extra screenings for US flights from China but that day was just plain nuts. If you had liquids you bought in the airport they were making you toss it as well.
Dec 20, 2014, 1:20 pm
#6
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The most common reason for these outbound jetbridge searches is that they were looking for undeclared cash being smuggled out of the country. CBP catches people all the time. They might have gotten a tip that somebody on your flight might attempt to do so. The dogs are trained to detect large amounts of currency--in fact, they even can detect large amounts the used to be in a suitcase, even if no longer there!
More uncommonly, sometimes DHS/TSA gets a tip about a potential security risk, and they decide to have a secondary jetbridge search of carry-on luggage.
More uncommonly, sometimes DHS/TSA gets a tip about a potential security risk, and they decide to have a secondary jetbridge search of carry-on luggage.
Jan 20, 2015, 12:40 pm
#7
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4 pax caught not declarign money
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Jan 20, 2015, 12:45 pm
#8
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not this time. A two-fer!!
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Which is NOT the legal limit. There is no legal limit. It is the limit for declarations...sigh.
Jan 20, 2015, 1:00 pm
#9
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You should see some US bound China flights...
X-ray bags at the entrance to the airport, regular security screening, additional security screening to enter US bound flights area, Passport check at gate, bag search once you scan you BP to board, and (if you get lucky) random pat downs at the door to the plane. lol.
Usually they have some kind of extra screenings for US flights from China but that day was just plain nuts. If you had liquids you bought in the airport they were making you toss it as well.
X-ray bags at the entrance to the airport, regular security screening, additional security screening to enter US bound flights area, Passport check at gate, bag search once you scan you BP to board, and (if you get lucky) random pat downs at the door to the plane. lol.
Usually they have some kind of extra screenings for US flights from China but that day was just plain nuts. If you had liquids you bought in the airport they were making you toss it as well.
Normal for US-bound flights from HKG.
Jan 20, 2015, 1:13 pm
#10
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About a year ago I was flying out of JFK T8 (AA). Gates 11 and 12 (I think 1 and 2 also) have a common entrance, and diverge later along the passageway. I was flying JFK-ZRH out of gate 11; Qatar air had a flight out of 12. There were TSA people in the passageway checking ONLY the Qatar flight not my flight.
Jan 20, 2015, 1:15 pm
#11
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not this time. A two-fer!!
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Jan 20, 2015, 2:30 pm
#13
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not this time. A two-fer!!
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
Customs Agents At Dulles Seize $37,000 In Cash.
WRC-TV Washington (1/16, Cho, 613K) reports US Customs and Border Protection officers on Thursday “seized about $37,000 of unreported currency from two separate groups of passengers at Dulles International Airport.” The first group were two men from Beijing with $22,238 and the other group a Northern Virginia couple had $15,215 “concealed on their bodies and in a purse.” The story says both groups had submitted a written statement that they were carrying less that $10,000 in cash, the legal limit to take out of the country on an international flight.
The article currently says the following (which is correct), don't know if it was changed from an earlier version:
"There is no limit to how much currency travelers may carry into or out of the U.S. However, travelers are required by federal law to report amounts exceeding $10,000 or risk facing criminal charges and having their currency seized.
Both groups had reported in writing that they were carrying less than $10,000."
As an aside issue, out of curiosity, does the $10K reporting limit apply per person or per group/family? e.g., if a couple had $9K each, would they be exempt, or does the reporting limit apply since they're traveling together?
Jan 20, 2015, 3:17 pm
#14
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There is no limit on importing or exporting cash. Anti money-laundering statutes require that one report the cash inbound or outbound, in excess of $10K. The same laws also prohibit engaging in "structuring" to avoid detection of reporting, e.g., splitting the cash between people and other sillinesses. These are largely no different than reporting requirements at financial institutions and also by almost any trade or business (pay your contractor $15K in cash and he files a report with IRS).
Back on the topic here, this could well have been a CBP led operation with TSA assistance or vice-a-versa. It is an international flight and thus the inspection could be for more than simple safety & security (remember that although the US does not have exit Customs checkpoints as do many countries, CBP still has full inspection authority).
This could have been anything from wholly random to a tip about drugs, money, terrorism or anything else.
Back on the topic here, this could well have been a CBP led operation with TSA assistance or vice-a-versa. It is an international flight and thus the inspection could be for more than simple safety & security (remember that although the US does not have exit Customs checkpoints as do many countries, CBP still has full inspection authority).
This could have been anything from wholly random to a tip about drugs, money, terrorism or anything else.
Jan 20, 2015, 3:37 pm
#15
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Was the bolded part above actually in the story, or did you add that? You didn't put it quotes, so I don't know.
The article currently says the following (which is correct), don't know if it was changed from an earlier version:
"There is no limit to how much currency travelers may carry into or out of the U.S. However, travelers are required by federal law to report amounts exceeding $10,000 or risk facing criminal charges and having their currency seized.
Both groups had reported in writing that they were carrying less than $10,000."
As an aside issue, out of curiosity, does the $10K reporting limit apply per person or per group/family? e.g., if a couple had $9K each, would they be exempt, or does the reporting limit apply since they're traveling together?
The article currently says the following (which is correct), don't know if it was changed from an earlier version:
"There is no limit to how much currency travelers may carry into or out of the U.S. However, travelers are required by federal law to report amounts exceeding $10,000 or risk facing criminal charges and having their currency seized.
Both groups had reported in writing that they were carrying less than $10,000."
As an aside issue, out of curiosity, does the $10K reporting limit apply per person or per group/family? e.g., if a couple had $9K each, would they be exempt, or does the reporting limit apply since they're traveling together?