The hunt is on for $1 million after an botch-up during the unloading of 13 cash bags from a Cathay Pacific flight in Hong Kong.
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The bag, along with two others stuffed with cash, fell off a baggage trailer as it turned a corner, according to Chinese website Shanghaiist.
It says the bag was one of 12 carrying cash totalling $10 million New Zealand dollars being delivered to the Bank of China.
Surveillance footage showed three bags fell out of a trailer after not being properly fastened.
When the cargo arrived at the station 10 minutes later, the driver realised the bags were missing.
Two of the three missing bags were later found on the tarmac.
Bad luck: A Cathay Pacific freighter at Hong Kong’s airport, in a file picture.
UK based G4S global Logistics, was responsible for transporting the money to the Bank of China, said the money was safe until it entered the controlled airside section of the airpor.
Upon arrival, it was transferred to a cargo terminal where part of the shipment was found to be missing.
The company said before the cargo left the plane it was all accounted for, where it was then transferred into a restricted area of the airport.
“This loss occurred within the controlled airside sector of HKIA – a restricted area that we are not allowed access to”, she told the newspaper.
It also said the missing bag full of banknotes was insured.
In a statement, the airline said: “Cathay Pacific transported a valuable cargo shipment last Friday night to Hong Kong”.
“G4Si is working hard to understand the chain of events that led to this loss”, she said. Police were investigating.
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A Customs spokeswoman said the agency was not involved in the incident. Privacy laws prevented Customs from detailing who sent the cash to Hong Kong.
