If you didnt accept the offer of the "pay $500, no questions asked" then why did you withdraw the money?

If you notice the original post, it starts off as a hypothetical situation but by the end switches to past tense, therefore not hypothetical any longer.

Becuase at the time, that was the cheapest option open to us. As it turned out, my colleague took the two cases of equipment he needed back in London, and I took HIS suitcase full of clothes (yes I know potential security risk) with me to Manchester, thereby releiving him of the excess baggage and absorbing his suitcase into my allowance.

Now, although I know him and trust him, I effectively carried his bag (that he packed and only he knew what was in it for sure) onto two International flights, from a country with a poor record of terrorist attacks and a death penalty for drugs trafickers. Knowing him made it low risk, but a risk all the same.

I would have paid the $1000 "official price" for peace of mind.

Was this hypothetical check-in agent in Emirates Uniform?
EK uniform = Employee
Random Uniform = Contract Staff ( Outsourced services )

<sarcasm> Either way, you should tell us what airport that happened at so we can take advantage of the savings. Hopefully its someplace that offers great shopping deals so we can buy tons of crap and take it with us</sarcasm>

Kudos to you for doing the right thing and taking your friends bags rather than letting them slip through.

The excess baggage charges vary based on how far the bags need to fly. The numbers below are for DXB>LHR or DXB>HKG both of which are ~7h flights

http://i49.tinypic.com/102qmvt.png

Based on the hypothetical amount of USD 1000 , your buddy had quite a load

White shortsleeve shirt, but emirates neck band with his identity badge tucked in his shirt, out of sight.

OK, now that we've established that, have you reported the 'guilty' or are you still 'protecting' him?

:D