Search the Contents Before You Finish the Control

A suspicious suitcase can contain both harmless belongings and something that should not pass the checkpoint. Moving the visible items out of the way matters because a quick glance can miss an object underneath them. For players searching Airport Contraband how to inspect luggage, the recorded basic sequence is to send the passenger to luggage search, open the bag, move items to the tray as needed, check their classifications, and confiscate prohibited goods before finishing the control.

That sequence appears in prerelease player footage and the Prologue. The official Airport Contraband Steam description also describes luggage searches and X-ray inspections, but those broader features should not be confused with the simple first tutorial search.

Move the Passenger to the Luggage Station

Complete the preceding body search and switch off its lamp before sending the passenger onward. If the luggage station is occupied, finish the passenger already there so the next one can move into place.

Approach the luggage and use its displayed open prompt. Recorded Demo and Prologue player sessions show holding E to open the bag; use your current on-screen prompt if your bindings differ.

Opening the suitcase is the start of the inspection, not confirmation that it is clear. Examine the objects inside and check anything you cannot confidently classify.

Use the Tray to Uncover the Bag

The tutorial explicitly allows items to move between the luggage and tray. Use that freedom to separate overlapping belongings and look beneath the obvious top layer.

  • Move an obstructing item to the tray rather than immediately confiscating it.
  • Inspect any object revealed underneath it.
  • Consult the Item Index for unfamiliar categories or objects.
  • Confiscate a restricted item instead of letting it return to its owner.
  • Finish the control once the required inspection is complete.

Player experience in the recorded tutorial shows legal items remaining with the traveler and restricted items being removed. Simply placing something in the tray is not the same as confiscating it, so pay attention to which action you choose.

Separate Restricted Goods, Contraband, and Hidden Compartments

Do not use arrest as the default response to everything you remove. The basic restricted-item tutorial explains that a restricted item should be confiscated without treating its possession as a criminal offense. When the contraband mechanic is introduced in the prerelease recording, confiscation is followed by arrest instead.

The April Demo also does not represent every later luggage mechanic. In an official developer reply about luggage in the Demo, DRAGO explained that the Demo used a limited item pool and simplified searches. The developer described passengers hiding items in the suitcase itself and the possibility of cutting it open when suspicious in the full game.

That distinction matters if you watched a bag containing only a few loose objects. Checking its visible contents is the introductory routine; it does not establish that every later suitcase is clear once those objects are moved. The collected reply does not provide a universal cutting location or input sequence, so do not assume every bag should be cut open.

FAQ

What does moving an item to the tray accomplish?

It lets you rearrange the bag and expose covered objects without confiscating every item you touch. Confiscation is a separate decision.

Does the Demo contain the complete luggage system?

No. The developer specifically described the Demo as simplified, with a smaller item pool and fewer luggage mechanics.

Should I arrest someone for a restricted item?

The basic tutorial says to confiscate restricted items and let the owner go. Contraband is treated differently, so check the index and the instructions for the mechanic currently active in your run.