Engineer faces jail for hiding bag in flight

A mechanical engineer, who hid a handbag in the front wheel compartment of an airplane and endangered the flight, was sentenced to six months in jail followed by deportation.

The handbag was filled with gold plates and bundles of currency worth more than Dh1 million. Police at Dubai International Airport discovered the engineer removing the handbag after the plane landed on June 28. He was arrested and the handbag confiscated. Daniel S. W., a 41-year-old Ethiopian, was charged with endangering the landing and take-off by placing the handbag in the front wheel compartment.

The items comprised 16.5kg of pure gold plates worth Dh665,169, and $113,000, 175,000 Saudi riyals,£163;5,060, C$740, 1000 Norwegian Crowns and 1,000 Swedish Crowns.