luggage searched upon leaving POP

[AlterEgo]

We must just be lucky - in April we flew from SDQ to Newark with 30 pounds of coffee. We've never been searched out of DR, but when we brought the controllers for the solar panels in two suitcases to DR we found notes inside the suitcases that they had been searched. I can see why, they're heavy and rectangular electronic devices.

 

[mylatinmatch]

Safety first!

Sometimes they also check your body. They do this randomly. They are looking for contraband or illegal substances. Some airports around the world, you have to go through 3 sets of detectors. They are just trying to be safe.

 

[william webster]

correct

I went thru once - forgot a watch or something
the felloww helped me out, checked me and sent me thru again

BEEEP....
I said 'What"
Don't worry. thats a random.... have a nice day and let me go

 

[dv8]

extra bonus on "it never happened to me before" list: on a way to berlin tegel at 2 am our bus was stopped by the german police and all on board had their documents checked. furthermore, the police took the passports of about half of the travelers and run additional check from inside their police car. there is no border control anymore within schengen and i knew both polish and german police occasionally stop cars and run random checks but it never happened to me before...

i asked bus driver and he said it seldom happens (he drives to the airport every day) but occasionally he has a passenger pulled out of the bus and arrested by the police.

 

[william webster]

an eventful trip for you deviate....

did the Polish sausage make it through ??

 

[dv8]

did the Polish sausage make it through ??

i went way over limit with my luggage. nice german lady at check-in took pity on me, thou, because i could barely talk (bad cold, followed by conjunctivitis). so all sausages made it. and cheese. and buckwheat. and herring. and all the sweets!

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

dv8,

I'll be right over...

 

[jstarebel]

You cannot carry any goods in your carry on from the DR to the states or they will confiscate it.

Everything must be put in your checked luggage. Unless you bought it in the stores (airport) after you
checked in through security

This is not true. I just carried $605.08 worth of Dominican cigars in my carry on luggage from the DR to a friend in St. Thomas. They checked the bag, pulled two samples (cigars) and drug tested them, looked at my paperwork, and I was on my way. It was more difficult in Puerto Rico than it was in the DR. (Santiago airport).

 

[dv8]

this year on my way back to DR i decided to screw those dumbass regulations regarding putting all liquids from carry on luggage in ziplock bags. i had ebola, plague and consumption and i was barely walking. surprise surprise, no one looked at my bags twice. why did i ever bother before?

 

[bronzeallspice]

This is not true. I just carried $605.08 worth of Dominican cigars in my carry on luggage from the DR to a friend in St. Thomas. They checked the bag, pulled two samples (cigars) and drug tested them, looked at my paperwork, and I was on my way. It was more difficult in Puerto Rico than it was in the DR. (Santiago airport).

Goods such as food. When I was in the airport and one of my luggage was weighed and it
was over the 50 lb limit, the person at the check in let me take out some of the items and
put it in the other luggage. When I was going to place some in my carry on, he said do not
put any food items in there or when you go through security they will confiscate it. That is
what I was told, and ever since I do not put any food item in my carry on.

 

[jstarebel]

Goods such as food. When I was in the airport and one of my luggage was weighed and it
was over the 50 lb limit, the person at the check in let me take out some of the items and
put it in the other luggage. When I was going to place some in my carry on, he said do not
put any food items in there or when you go through security they will confiscate it. That is
what I was told, and ever since I do not put any food item in my carry on.

My mistake. I didn't read where you were referring to food products. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the entire thread. Thanks.

 

[chrisrose97]

Traveling back to Miami I got called at the gate in Santiago and wondered why. Never been called before but sometimes checked. Downstairs two guys in plain clothes and a lady from the airline and one of my suitcases and said they needed to search. I got nothing to hide, go ahead. but my suitcase was locked and the I didn't have the key on me the key was in the other suitcase. They said they would force it open. No problem, if we can put plastic wrapping on it afterwards I had no problem.I had glanced at their IDs and they were DNCD. Oh boy i thought this could cost me my flight at the very least. I consented to them forcefully opening my baggage( like I had a choice)
I could tell they didnt want to show me how they open baggage, hehehehe...they took A PEN, stuck it on the far side of the zipper from where the lock was and ZIPPED IT OPEN...nice and easy!....aha!,...so thats how they do it, I thought, but i didnt react in front of them... Long story short, it was the suitcase full of my old photo albums I was taking home to Miami. They must have thought it was blocks of drugs or something. And they began to laugh as they went thru many of the pages of the photo albums and wondering how old the kids in the photos had to be now!! Around 40 I told them as I pointed to myself and winked..After some chit chat they apologized about the inconvenience and I was on my way...next time I make sure I have the keys on me...and by btw, never put anything of high value in your suitcases!!! put them in your carry ons no matter what...thats how easy they open them!!!

 

[cjewell]

Coming out of POP for the first time we were searched yesterday on the airport too. They seemed very interested in the perfume and a can of smushed tomato.