Right, so people on another site are blaming Menara airport for stealing things that shouldn't be in their suitcases. There are 15 to 20 complaints of theft stretching back to 2008. It might just be that these alleged thefts occurred at their home airports. After all, I can remember the days when Heathrow was nicknamed "Thiefrow".

I must admit I was amused at the post from someone in the UK who alleged that "some years ago" he saw baggage handlers rifling through and stealing from suitcases and he DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!

I can't remember a post here that has alleged thefts from luggage loaded at Menara. That is not to say it can't happen and maybe one of the DE's for Marrakech can throw some light on the matter. I've flown through Moroccan airports 100s of times and have never been in a situation where I was "inappropriately touched" or items from my suitcase stolen.

Wasn't there a case at Heathrow when a famous model alleged she was groped at Heathrow? Perhaps the inappropriateness is in the eye of the beholder.

As a last observation, it is not 90% of the respondents on that feedback site who have alleged theft. Please don't scaremonger.

You say you're taking your valuable in your hand luggage - well, rest assured, your hand luggage will not be out of your sight at any stage unless you leave it somewhere accidentally.

The area with the scanners/x ray machines is small and you will be able to keep any eye on your bag the whole time.

As for inappropriate touching, that is very subjective. Plus at Menara, they do try to separate lines into male and female so that you would only be frisked by a security officer of your own gender anyway, if that makes a difference?

John, it was 1999 when Diana Ross (ex Supremes) was arrested at Heathrow airport in the UK for slapping a member of staff after she objected to being frisked by security, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/454462.stm

Just confirms she's a real diva.

How many people travel through Marrakech airport each week and how many have complained on their website?

The valuable items that you mention should be packed in your hand luggage not your suitcase. No airline, airport, or travel insurance company will take responsibility for these items if you report them as missing from your suitcase, regardless of which destination you travel to.

Airport security is straight-forward. It is a small area where men and women are separated into two lines. You put your hand luggage through the scanner, walk through the metal detector and receive a pat-down from a police person of your gender. I have never been offended by this practice.

The airport has a 'litige bagage' for delayed, damaged and lost suitcases. 'Lost/found' property is operated by the police. The office is located in the arrivals passport control area. Those people who don't speak arabic or french may have had difficulty in discovering this.

I have been travelling to Morocco since 1978 and have never had items gone 'missing' from my luggage, but then I never ever put valuables in my hold luggage, only in carry on bags. I too have just read the feedback on the Menara airport website, as John W says, these incidents of theft could have happened at any airport, including Menara I have to add! However we should not be so dismissive of the comments from travellers who have suffered losses of such nature.

Don't forget about 56 million pounds was robbed from heathrow im off to Morocco in May first time there and looking foward it

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think some of the adverse comments on the Menara airport feedback site are clumsy lies. How about this one?

" to find my checked in case had been broken into, the lock had been cut off and the suitcase locking mechanism broken. I discovered this upon landing at LGW at the luggage carousel My iPad, Bose speaker and unopened duty frees purchased on the way out were all stolen from my case"

Now, how on earth do goods purchased in Duty Free manage to get into hold luggage, which would've been checked in and not be with the passenger at Duty Free? Am I missing something here?

How about this?

"My luggage was checked in along with 10 firearms. My luggage carried lladro, and 4 Rolex watches. I arrived at my destination to find my luggage was gone. I complained to the baggage claim office, and they told me to file a claim. To this day, I have never recieved my goods. I hate them and I hope they all burn in hell!!!

Does this ring true? Was it satirical? I don't know what "lladro" means, but "ladro" in Italian is "a thief".

While not wishing to minimise the pain and distress of those who truly have had goods stolen, I think something stinks about a lot of this feedback at the Menara Airport site.

What advice can people here give? I think that people should follow the guidelines of their insurance companies and the airlines and not put valuables in their hold baggage. Keep an eye on hand baggage at all times. There are no guarantees in life but sensible precautions go a long way!

Lladro is the name of the Spanish company which makes expensive porcelain figures, they sell from £100+ up to many hundreds of pounds.

I stand corrected - and me a translator and all! Thanks for the information.

However, I think the original point is valid. That particular person alleged that he had 10 firearms in his luggage, 4 Rolex watches.and, now we learn, delicate and expensive porcelain objects from a Spanish company, which for some reason he seemed to have with him in Morocco.

I don't believe a word of it.