4 Things to do if you're a victim of Laglag-Bala or Tanim Bala Scam

Media sources said that before the tanim-bala modus operandi was exposed and reported by the media, the group normally victimized more than 20 passengers a day, raking hundreds of thousands of pesos from passengers who do not want to be hassled.

The source also disclosed that the tanim-bala modus operandi is already an open-secret activity of some unscrupulous airport security screeners, who get 60 percent of the bribes. The remaining 40 percent go to the alleged spotters.

Courtesy : PEBA

This is not to scare you  but assuming you're a victim of laglag bala or tanim bala scam here are the must-read-tips provided by PEBA, an organization of Filipinos living and working abroad.

In a Facebook post, the Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Awards gave four tips on what to do when an airport personnel accused a traveller of having a bullet in his or her luggage:

First and foremost, don't panic! Act like your know the law.

1. Don't agree to have your baggage opened. Ask for the airport police or a relative who can immediately call a lawyer for you. Don't also agree when airport personnel ask you to open the luggage yourself.

2. When airport police are present, ask them to open the bag and retrieve the bullet. If the bullet found in the luggage is not really yours, it won't have your fingerprint.

3. After the bullet is retrieved by authorities, ask them to do a fingerprint test.

4. If the result shows that no traces of your fingerprints were found in the bullet then you can file a case against the airport personnel including damages for lost time and inconvenience.

Note, that the tanim-bala scam is not limited to OFWS. Recently, an engineer was arrested in Davao CIty after bullets were found in his luggage,this means that any public traveler could be a victim of this modus operandi

Sources : PEBA/KickerDaily /GMA/