A ghost bag is defined as a bag that gets checked onto a plane but has no one traveling with it.
Have you ever heard of “ghost bagging?”
It’s a new term that travelers should be aware of after three women were arrested at the Nashville International Airport for allegedly participating in what police call a “ghost bag” operation, WSMV reports. Officers were notified by Southwest Airlines on Nov. 13 of a bag that arrived to the airport but no one flew with it. The contents of the bag included brand-new Lululemon clothes, a receipt, a forged driver’s license, and a credit card.
A ghost bag is defined as a bag that gets checked onto a plane but has no one traveling with it. Then, someone else waits at the arrival point to take the luggage from a carousel. While the term may be new to travelers, law enforcement says it’s not uncommon. This process is used as another way to transport drugs or carry out illegal activity. Once the checked bag makes it to baggage claim, the bag is in the hands of the airline and it’s difficult for them to monitor to who picks them up.
Jennifer Larson, a passenger who flew out of BNA on Nov. 13, said she didn’t like the idea having unattended bags on their flights. She learned about the ghost bag operation until the arrest.
“It’s kind of scary to think that people can put whatever they want in a piece of luggage and ship it,” Larson said. “I hope that they regulate that if a bag doesn’t have a passenger with it. Then they don’t let the bag get on the plane. I mean, that’s common sense. If you are not on the plane, your bag shouldn’t be on the plane.”
Another passenger feels that Nashville is being targeted due to its growing popularity.
“These criminals are just looking for any way to manipulate the system,” Tracey Prue said. “Baggage claim is so easy to pick up someone else’s bags….Just be aware of your surroundings. If you see a bag going around by itself with nobody around, maybe let someone know.”
Source: Black Enterprise
