British tourist murdered by gang which may have been tipped
Dec 17, 2019, 7:09 pm
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
British tourist murdered by gang which may have been tipped
https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2...-to-criminals/
Fernández admitted that crime levels have skyrocketed and blamed the country’s poor economic situation for the increasing organisation and sophistication of violent street robbers.
So sophisticated, in fact, that travel safety expert, Lloyd Figgins told Sky News that insiders working for airlines had been selling information about wealthy passengers to criminal gangs so that they can target victims as soon as they arrive in Argentina.
“We’re starting to see they are having insiders working for airlines, where they are actually getting the manifest of a particular flight in order they can see who the business class travellers are, where they might be staying, and then targeting their vehicle from the moment they leave the airport, and knowing exactly which hotel they are going to,” Figgins told the broadcaster.
So sophisticated, in fact, that travel safety expert, Lloyd Figgins told Sky News that insiders working for airlines had been selling information about wealthy passengers to criminal gangs so that they can target victims as soon as they arrive in Argentina.
“We’re starting to see they are having insiders working for airlines, where they are actually getting the manifest of a particular flight in order they can see who the business class travellers are, where they might be staying, and then targeting their vehicle from the moment they leave the airport, and knowing exactly which hotel they are going to,” Figgins told the broadcaster.
Dec 17, 2019, 7:38 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
A tragic incident but reading the quote from the 'safety expert' you'd think arriving passengers at Ezeiza were being robbed every other day.....sensational nonsense.
Dec 20, 2019, 3:21 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SYD
Programs: QF PS and spouse of QP Senior Lifer PS, UA, AA, DL, AS, AV
Posts: 762
A disincentive to travel in premium cabins to EZE on any airline.
Two days ago the Buenos Aires police mentioned only that the gangs look for disembarking pax with expensive watches.
I guess further information has emerged.
Two days ago the Buenos Aires police mentioned only that the gangs look for disembarking pax with expensive watches.
I guess further information has emerged.
Dec 20, 2019, 9:51 pm
#4
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
What further information?
Yeah they don't have to look for Rolexes. These days, people are likely to have expensive phones, cameras, iPads. And people going to Argentina may be carrying a fair amount of USD to exchange on the black market for better than the official FX rate.
Yeah they don't have to look for Rolexes. These days, people are likely to have expensive phones, cameras, iPads. And people going to Argentina may be carrying a fair amount of USD to exchange on the black market for better than the official FX rate.
Dec 21, 2019, 3:00 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SYD
Programs: QF PS and spouse of QP Senior Lifer PS, UA, AA, DL, AS, AV
Posts: 762
What further information?
Yeah they don't have to look for Rolexes. These days, people are likely to have expensive phones, cameras, iPads. And people going to Argentina may be carrying a fair amount of USD to exchange on the black market for better than the official FX rate.
Yeah they don't have to look for Rolexes. These days, people are likely to have expensive phones, cameras, iPads. And people going to Argentina may be carrying a fair amount of USD to exchange on the black market for better than the official FX rate.
Dec 21, 2019, 5:08 am
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Apart from confirming a certain individual was going to be arriving on the flight I can't see what good a passenger manifest would be to a criminal.
Dec 21, 2019, 5:30 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SYD
Programs: QF PS and spouse of QP Senior Lifer PS, UA, AA, DL, AS, AV
Posts: 762
Really? Doesn't a manifest show the names of the pax in the premium cabins separately? A UK well known multi-millionaire business man flying BA (the airline BA not the city BA) was selected and followed from the airport by a gang who had the manifest. A Google search of all the names maybe?
Jan 2, 2020, 7:17 am
#8
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
Programs: Lord of Malbec & all Wines Argentine. AA EXP / Marriott Lifetime Silver / Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 35,681
The Gang behind this (and various other)muggings was shut down by Police a couple of days after this tragic incident. A total of 9 have been arrested, 3 of them while trying to escape the country by land. 7 Venezuelan and 2 Argentines. I hope the foreigners serve their time and then get deported - although I wouldnt mind (actually prefer) them getting deported right away.... in any case, they all deserve to rot in Hell.
Jan 2, 2020, 7:23 am
#9
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
Programs: Lord of Malbec & all Wines Argentine. AA EXP / Marriott Lifetime Silver / Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 35,681
Just to add... I dont know who this Figgins bozo that is quoted above is... or what he does, but the local investigation yielded that this Gang had members walk around EZE arrivals and looked for tourists with expensive watches and fancy baggage (ie. LV suitcases)... they then followed them out to spot the Vehicles they boarded. This information was fed in real time to other Gang members who then followed the vehicles and selected the best spot to hit them to execute the robbery. None of this manifest BS was mentioned.... the PSA (Argentine Aeronautical Police) - which has jurisdiction at EZE has all of this on tape (security cameras)..... so the entire story of Manifests and insiders at the airlines would appear to be bogus.....
Unless I can find a serious source like The Guardian or the BBC (or another organization/publication of similar caliber) publishing something remotely similar (ie. related to information from the manifest, etc.), I would have to conclude that its all made up....
So then... who decided that this bloke Figgins is a Travel Safety Expert...???!!!!
Unless I can find a serious source like The Guardian or the BBC (or another organization/publication of similar caliber) publishing something remotely similar (ie. related to information from the manifest, etc.), I would have to conclude that its all made up....
So then... who decided that this bloke Figgins is a Travel Safety Expert...???!!!!
Jul 29, 2020, 3:10 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 5
This gangs will kill someone for a dollar. They don't care about human life. Most of the time is not about the money they just want to kill. Avoid empty streets and stay safe.