Flight robbery: what dangers lie in wait for passengers at airports
With the beginning of the tourist season, Russian airports traditionally switch to high-load mode. Millions of passengers flock to the south of the country, to Turkey, Egypt, the UAE and the CIS countries. However, along with the flow of tourists, the number of crimes in air harbors is also growing — from fraud and theft to organized criminal schemes. Experts told Izvestia what dangers await travelers in the air harbor.
Taxi drivers and "mourners"
In 2026, several criminal cases of embezzlement of money from passengers at Sheremetyevo Airport were transferred to the court at once, the Prosecutor General's Office reported earlier. According to the investigation, criminal groups acted systematically — we are talking about numerous fraudulent schemes to extort money from passengers under the guise of taxi drivers, as well as "theatrical performances" in order to soften airport visitors and obtain funds by deception. Among the victims were, among others, members of the SVO. Izvestia had previously covered this story in detail. Investigators claim that the attackers looked out for tired or disoriented passengers after arrival, offered help with taxis, currency exchange or ticket purchases, and then stole money or forced them to pay for services at vastly inflated prices.
Illegal carriers remain one of the main threats at airports. With the start of the holiday season, passengers are particularly often confronted with intrusive touts in the arrivals area.
A number of criminal cases involve organized groups operating inside terminals. According to the prosecutor's office, the criminals took advantage of the confusion of the arriving passengers, especially the elderly and tourists arriving at night. In Chelyabinsk, in 2025, a verdict was handed down to members of a group who deceived airport passengers under the guise of a taxi. Victims were billed tens of thousands of rubles even for short trips.
Theft and fraud
The number of property crimes increases dramatically during the high season. The main risks are theft of hand luggage, documents and money.
The most criminally dangerous places:
— baggage claim areas;
— queues for registration;
— places of inspection;
— food courts and waiting areas.
While a passenger is distracted by their phone, check-in, or children, intruders can steal a bag or wallet in just a few seconds.
Passenger attacks
In Sheremetyevo in the summer of 2025, a man who was under the influence of drugs grabbed a two-year-old child and threw him to the floor in the airport terminal. The criminal case was brought to court in January 2026. Experts note that during the period of mass transportation, the number of conflicts related to alcohol, drugs, stress and flight delays increases.
— People are nervous, and if you add alcohol to this, the mixture is explosive, — said a representative of the transport police. — Almost every day we have to detain citizens for violating the order. This often makes it impossible for them to board a flight and no one will refund the money for the ticket if the person has committed an offense.
Smuggling and transportation of prohibited goods
The high tourist season is traditionally accompanied by an increase in the number of crimes related to smuggling. In 2025, customs authorities regularly reported attempts to illegally transport gold, jewelry, precious stones, large amounts of cash, and rare animals. Similar crimes were recorded at the airports of Moscow, Makhachkala, Kazan, Mineralnye Vody and Grozny. For example, in 2026, the Dagestan Prosecutor's office brought to court a case on the smuggling of precious metals through Makhachkala airport in the amount of more than 142 million rubles. The case file included former airport employees.
"You should not take valuable cargo with you, even at the request of relatives," says a source in the transport police. — Customs rules are quite complicated, they often change — close people can unwittingly put a passenger in an uncomfortable position.
Flight delays are a thief's environment
Additional risks arise during massive flight delays. During the hours-long wait, passengers lose their vigilance: they fall asleep and leave things unattended, which makes them more vulnerable to fraudsters.
"The anticipation of a trip, especially for an inexperienced tourist, is always stressful, which is why people buy useless things at train stations, airports, and trains," the policeman shares his observations. — Scammers have noticed this for a long time and impose their services right in the waiting rooms.
A separate category is fraud with bank cards and transfers. A common deception scheme is to convince passengers to pay for an "urgent service."
According to eyewitnesses, during periods of aviation collapses, people spend days in crowded terminals, where the risk of theft is particularly high.
Expert opinion
— Before the summer and New Year holidays, the transport police really have the hottest time, — said Valentin Stanovov, criminologist, author of the book "Notes of an Old Detective."
According to him, the surge in crime at airports is directly related to the seasonal increase in passenger traffic, and theft of personal property remains the most common crimes.
— If we talk about statistics, the theft of personal property is leading the list of "vacation crimes": phones, wallets, bags, and sometimes even entire luggage. Of course, cameras save lives, but professional thieves are well aware of their dead zones and work with a so—called screen - that is, someone blocks the camera, and an accomplice drags a purse or bag," the expert explained.
According to Stanovov, the main preventive measure is constant visual monitoring of things.
— Use small bags that will be visible all the time, for example, on your chest. It is better to keep wallets and documents there," the criminologist advises.
A separate threat, according to the expert, is the use of passengers "in the dark" to transport prohibited items, primarily drugs.
— Remember a simple rule: someone else's luggage is someone else's deadline. If you are asked to give something to someone, say firmly: "I'm sorry, I can't, this is prohibited by the rules of transportation and the law," he stressed.
The expert also warned about the traditional schemes of deception with illegal taxi drivers near airports, who are especially active during the holidays.
— If you haven't used the well-known taxi service in advance and ordered a car from your phone, be prepared that you will also be deceived. The principle of deception is something like this: a taxi driver comes up and says — I'll take you for a normal price, for example, for 2 thousand rubles. Already in the car, it turns out that "2 thousand is for boarding, and for mileage — another 200 rubles per km." The total is 15 thousand. rubles,— Stanovov said.
How to reduce risks:
— use only the official taxi through the apps or airport counters;
— do not transfer documents to outsiders;
— do not accept the help of strangers with currency exchange and tickets;
— do not leave luggage unattended;
— avoid large amounts of cash;
— keep a close eye on children in terminals;
— check employees by badges and uniforms.
According to transportation security experts, it is flight fatigue, haste, and loss of concentration that make passengers the most vulnerable to criminals. The risks are particularly high during periods of massive flight delays and tourist peaks, when terminals are overcrowded and security personnel are working under increased workload.
With the beginning of the summer season, the load on Russian airports will continue to grow. And with it, the activity of criminals, for whom a tired tourist with a suitcase remains one of the most convenient targets.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
