Green zip-tie on luggage at a Bali airport stumps Aussie traveller

An Aussie tourist was left stumped after discovering a green zip-tie had been attached to his suitcase when he went to collect his luggage at an airport in Bali.

The man took to Facebook shortly after landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar to question why his suitcase had been marked.

‘Landed last night and have a cable-tie on both suitcase handles. Anyone know what this means?,’ he asked.

An Australian tourist found a bright green zip-tie on his suitcase (above) after touching down in Bali

An Australian tourist found a bright green zip-tie on his suitcase (above) after touching down in Bali

Dozens of Bali-regulars were quick to advise the zip-tie marked his bag as a possible security risk that needed to be subject to an extra search.

‘I thought it was for heavy bags,’ one commenter said. 

‘It just means they want to search your bag,’ another wrote.

To many commenters’ shock, several tourists suggested hiding or removing the zip-tie to save precious minutes at immigration. 

‘It means something has shown up in the X-rays and they want to check your bag as you leave,’ one wrote.

‘They only do it if the guys at customs see the cable tie, in future put your hand over it on the way out.’

One angry woman called out the odd reaction and reminded people they’re guests in Bali so shouldn’t be looking to dodge laws.

‘I can’t believe how many comments I read on posts giving people bad advice,’ she person wrote.

‘[Like] cut it off, put your hand over it, carry nail clippers on your person to snip it off.

‘If you have nothing wrong in your bag, then don’t worry. You are in a foreign country. It’s their rules.  

‘You’d be up in arms if something dreadful happened in your own country. Obey the rules. Respect the rules.’

Aviation expert Martin Engeler explained the zip-tie tagging system to Yahoo News last year after another flyer discovered an orange zip-tie on her suitcase.

Bali-regulars said the zip-ties are typically used to flag bags that are a potential security risk at Ngurah Rai International Airport (above)

Bali-regulars said the zip-ties are typically used to flag bags that are a potential security risk at Ngurah Rai International Airport (above)

Bali-regulars said the zip-ties are typically used to flag bags that are a potential security risk at Ngurah Rai International Airport (above)

He said different colour zip-ties work as secret codes for security staff and called the approach a ‘Bali thing’.

‘What they used to do was mark it with a yellow crayon and put a cross on it,’ he said, adding the cross meant the bag was flagged for an extra security check.

‘Baggage is screened before they come out of the airport… It tells customs to check that bag. It’s for people who try to bring in stuff like electronics.’

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk