luggage searched upon leaving POP

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dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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so i had my name called out when i was in boarding area. luggage search. several other people were pulled out from my flight. we had to go downstairs and assist police and DNCD in going through our suitcases. very interesting event. i think that 12 bags of coffee and 50 chocolates did look interesting to them...

i have never heard of this happening before. i hope my luggage will make it, i'm still in transit.
 
B

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
5,898
550
113
This is why I hate flying into or out of Puerto Plata and will avoid it at all costs.

The people they have working for the airlines and airport staff are straight-up thugs, all of them.
 
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LindseyKaufman

Silver
Aug 21, 2007
3,067
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I see it happen to travelers every time I fly out of POP. I think it is a good thing. They are being careful....and just doing their jobs.

Lindsey
 
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william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,330
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Always the coffee bags...looks like cocaine bags on the x-ray

I remember Lambada being searched too...........you're in good company
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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When you have bricks of an organic powder (coffee) and bars of an organic solid (chocolate) in your suitcase in this day and age you have to expect to be asked a question or two. If you are going to the US, I expect you will be queried again upon arrival.

Organics glow orange on the x-ray machines. Big brother always knows and the majority of outbound suitcases are opened before loading at POP anyways. At least in the US they leave a note saying your suitcase was physically inspected. In the DR you can usually only tell if you deliberated packed a certain way and at home notice the items have been rearranged.
 
S

snoozer

Member
Jan 22, 2004
282
7
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Cdn_Gringo said:
When you have bricks of an organic powder (coffee) and bars of an organic solid (chocolate) in your suitcase in this day and age you have to expect to be asked a question or two. If you are going to the US, I expect you will be queried again upon arrival.

Organics glow orange on the x-ray machines. Big brother always knows and the majority of outbound suitcases are opened before loading at POP anyways. At least in the US they leave a note saying your suitcase was physically inspected. In the DR you can usually only tell if you deliberated packed a certain way and at home notice the items have been rearranged.
Click to expand...
...or that something is missing !!
 
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Riva_31

Bronze
Apr 1, 2013
2,537
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63
San Pedro de Macoris
dv8 said:
so i had my name called out when i was in boarding area. luggage search. several other people were pulled out from my flight. we had to go downstairs and assist police and DNCD in going through our suitcases. very interesting event. i think that 12 bags of coffee and 50 chocolates did look interesting to them...

i have never heard of this happening before. i hope my luggage will make it, i'm still in transit.
Click to expand...

Im Dominican and that is why Im always 3 hrs before my flight at the airport to be the first in line and go inmediatly inside, that way I give to them all the time to ask me and check all that they want so I wont be late for the flight and miss it. Usually I travel out from Punta Cana, last time I traveled was the only time that no body asked me nothing, before always some one come to me, before stamp my passport also a lot questions and one time in La Romana Airport they took me to the small room to open my suitcase.
 
K

Kyle

Silver
Jun 2, 2006
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drug smugglers use coffee and chocolate as masking agents for cocaine shipments.
 
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oriole100

Bronze
Oct 9, 2005
807
18
0
This happens to me every time. My wife wants to bring back coffee. 15 bags. some Choc. It's got to the point I know the people. Here I am. help open the suitcase. It's coffee? Yes. Sign here. Have a nice Day.
 
billma90

billma90

Member
Aug 15, 2012
118
3
18
71
Toronto
Happened to me once, i had 10 bags of coffee in my luggage, got pulled downstairs and they sniffed every bag. lol.
Now i take the coffee in a carry on bag so i don't get pulled downstairs. Of course they open up the carry on, but is over more quickly than having to do the luggage opening.
OOOO how i miss strolling the Malecon..........warmth, sigh
 
L

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
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38
dv8 said:
so i had my name called out when i was in boarding area. luggage search. several other people were pulled out from my flight. we had to go downstairs and assist police and DNCD in going through our suitcases. very interesting event. i think that 12 bags of coffee and 50 chocolates did look interesting to them...

i have never heard of this happening before. i hope my luggage will make it, i'm still in transit.
Click to expand...


I had that happen at SDQ. They were pleasant and didn't find anything. I think these are routine checks and they will probably target single people.
 
aname4me

aname4me

Active member
Jun 18, 2011
367
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It has happened to me too.
I now carry my Coffee back in my Carry-On.
I have done that twice... no problem.
 
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RV429

Bronze
Apr 3, 2011
1,574
1
36
This happens all the time at POP. It's the coffee that triggers the searches. Buen Viaje.

dv8 said:
so i had my name called out when i was in boarding area. luggage search. several other people were pulled out from my flight. we had to go downstairs and assist police and DNCD in going through our suitcases. very interesting event. i think that 12 bags of coffee and 50 chocolates did look interesting to them...

i have never heard of this happening before. i hope my luggage will make it, i'm still in transit.
Click to expand...
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i just wanted to stress i was not upset. the guys are doung their job, i have no problem with that. i was polite and nice and i was the first one to be done. i always take coffee with me too but it was the first time i was singled out. my luggage arrived to vienn without problems. now i had few shots of vodka, 2 beers and 2 shots of jegermaisser or whatever it's called. i think i need to slow down.
 
N

nsgirl

New member
Nov 4, 2008
87
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I've noticed this happening every time I fly out of POP for about two years now... They call 5 or 6 passengers and search their luggage. People usually get pretty panicked! I had no idea that coffee would be a red flag but I guess that makes sense. Good to know for future flights!
 
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botemon

Active member
Jun 28, 2008
223
31
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This has happened to me once flying out of POP. I had some prescriptions and two "bundles" of cigars....the "cheap-os". I was upstairs having a beer when they called my name. I was escorted downstairs and was present before they opened my bags. (I thought that was a good idea actually). It was the cigars that caught their attention.....but did not really no why...no problem. Got to MIA and the US Customs pulled me over for inspection.....never happened before or since in 7 years. They asked me "what ya got in the bag"? and I confessed I had two bundles of cigars in there. They never opened the bag and said "thanks"....sent me on my way. I suspect that the bundles looked like dynamite or some kind of explosive.....that's all I could think about but it made sence to me! HA!!!
 
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