Luggage poaching at Budapest Airport

I had hoped that I wouldn’t need to write any more stories about the Budapest Airport but the latest news from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport are disturbing.

After arriving to the Budapest Airport a couple of years ago, I noticed a large muscled man grabbing our suitcases from the carousel. He packed them onto a cart and was quickly heading out a side door. I ran after him explaining in my best colloquial Hungarian that those were mine. I was able to recover the bags, and the large man didn’t say much. It seemed that he was an employee of the airport; at least he had an official-looking badge around his neck.

Later I learned that the Budapest Airport has a so called „porter service” that can be hired by tour-groups and individuals. People associated with this mysterious „service” are authorized to grab luggage and when mistakes are made, it may take hours to recover the misplaced bags. Since my strange experience I always run to the carousel and watch the arriving luggage like a hawk.

In January we were in Hungary and heard rumors about luggage disappearing at Budapest Airport. Every airport has lost or misplaced items so I didn’t think it was anything to write about.

Then on January 19, the Korean Embassy in Budapest issued a statement on Facebook that valuables of Korean visitors had disappeared from their bags at the airport. It is suspected that arriving luggage was opened before being placed on the carousel. It turns out that the Koreans were not alone; other passengers have experienced the same problem. (Read 444.hu report here in Hungarian.)

Last year travelers found human blood spots inside their luggage; apparently the poacher cut his/her finger while going through the bags. Airport boss Mihály Hardy gave a lengthy interview trying to explain the situation. From his interview I learned a new Hungarian word, poggyászdézsmálás (luggage poaching). (Read Hardy’s interview here – Hungarian.)

Recently Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on his spy agencies to probe the “Soros Empire,” and Hungarian authorities are focusing on investigating NGOs who criticize government policies. I’d suggest instead that they focus their efforts on stopping unacceptable luggage poaching at the Budapest Airport.

This would improve Hungary’s image abroad.

György Lázár

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