Baggage handler accused of swopping suitcase tags at Changi Airport

A Singaporean baggage handler has been charged with "mischief" for allegedly swopping tags on hundreds of suitcases at the city-state's airport, causing them to end up at the wrong destination.

Tay Boon Keh, 63, could be jailed if found guilty of having swapped the tags on 286 bags at Changi Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs and often voted the world's best airport.

Tay, who appeared in court Tuesday, is facing 286 counts of mischief.

Luggage originally bound for various parts of the world, including Perth, Manila, Frankfurt, London and San Francisco, was affected, according to court documents.

The charges said Tay knew that he was likely to "cause wrongful loss" to the Singapore airport operator. His motives remained unclear and were not stated in the charges.

Changi handled nearly 59 million passengers last year.

The airport operator told the Straits Times newspaper the case was an isolated incident.

"Nonetheless, we have enhanced access control as well as the CCTV coverage in the baggage handling area. Patrols have also been stepped up," its spokesman was quoted as saying.