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A Stranger Finds a Locked Suitcase Full of Cash and Can’t Open It. How Hard Would Yours Be to Open?

Thought experiment, not a news report

Picture a hard case on a wet footpath, three dials on its side, and a finder spinning them before taking it to the police. How long a lock like that holds comes down to one number: 1,000. Flying overseas? Here is what that number means for the Samsonite Oc2Lite Suitcase, 68 cm, and what it does not cover.

  • Size68 × 47 × 32 cm
  • LockBuilt-in, 3 digits
  • Space77 L, expands to 88 L
  • Priceabout A$250 to A$270
See the Samsonite Oc2Lite 68 cm on Amazon Australia

Price is a guide read on Amazon Australia; the listing has today’s figure. Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Schematic of a hard-shell suitcaseA line drawing of the suitcase with its height, width and depth marked as 68, 47 and 32 centimetres, and three numbered points: the built-in combination lock, the zips and the ID tag.68 cm47 cm32 cm123LockZipsID tag
Fig. 1 · Schematic, not to scale

01 The find

What happens to a locked case that nobody comes back for

Nothing here is a report of a real incident. It is a scenario built from how things work in New South Wales: someone finds a heavy case with no tag, nobody around, and a three-digit lock they cannot crack.

In NSW, “finders keepers” is not a rule. The finder is expected to take reasonable steps to find the owner, and large sums of cash are expected to go to police,[7] who take lost property in at stations.[6] The owner can report the loss online and should get an event number within 48 hours.[5] Unclaimed money that police hold, if it is not connected with an offence, is paid to the Treasurer.[8] The full steps are on what to do if you find a case yourself.

A lone matte black hard-shell suitcase with a smooth plastic shell standing on a wet footpath beside a brick bus shelter at dusk, with fallen leaves and a paper cup around it
Illustration of the scenario above. It is not a photograph of a real incident, and it is not the case featured on this page.

02 The lock

How many tries is a three-digit lock, really?

Three dials with ten digits each give every code from 000 to 999. That is the whole space a patient person has to search.

  • 1,000possible codes on three dials, 000 to 999
  • ~17 minto try every code at one a second, the slowest case
  • ~8 minon average, if the codes are tried in order

Arithmetic with an assumed pace of one attempt per second, not a lab test.

So the honest answer to the question in the headline is: not very hard, for someone with time. A lock like this is a deterrent, not a vault. What a built-in lock of this type does well is hold the zip pullers in place, so the case cannot be opened with a quick tug in a crowd, and make any tampering slow enough to be noticed.

There is a second point in screening. Qantas notes that security screeners may need to inspect baggage, which could include breaking locks, and suggests locks that can be opened without breaking for travel to the US.[1] Travel Sentry, the scheme behind the red-diamond mark, says its approved locks let screening officers open and re-lock a case without damage, and counts more than 80 countries that accept them.[3]

03 The limits

What a built-in lock stops, and what it doesn’t

It stops

  • A casual hand on the zips while the case sits on a carousel or a crowded train.
  • Damage from a screening officer who has to cut a plain lock, if the lock carries a recognised master-key mark.[3]

It doesn’t stop

  • Someone who tries all 1,000 codes.
  • Anyone willing to damage the zip or the shell.
  • Loss, delay or theft of the whole case. A lock is not insurance.

Cash does not belong in the hold. That is how a case ends up as the scenario at the top of this page: valuables packed where nobody is watching. Qantas says to keep valuables, keys, medication and important documents in carry-on baggage.[1] Virgin Australia goes further and lists packing valuables such as cash, medication, personal documents and keys in checked baggage as something not to do.[2]

Why this case is the example

If you fly overseas, it ticks the boxes this page covered

  • The lock is built in. Three digits set by you, TSA-approved by the maker’s description, nothing extra to buy or lose.[4]
  • It fits the international limit. 68 + 47 + 32 is 147 cm, under the 158 cm Qantas gives for international flights.[1]
  • It grows on the way home. The expander takes it from 77 L to 88 L.[4]
  • It comes with a limited 10-year global warranty from the maker.[4]

The Amazon Australia listing showed 4.6 out of 5 from 344 ratings and the label “#1 Best Seller in Suitcases” when we read it in October 2026.[10] Ratings and labels change, so check the listing.

Check the price on Amazon Australia

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Amazon Australia is a separate company, so its listing has the current price and terms.

04 The case

The example case, part by part

The numbers on the left match the callouts on the schematic above. Everything in the table is from the maker’s own description.[4]

1LockIntegrated 3-digit combination lock, described by Samsonite as TSA-approved. The maker’s instructions cover how to set your own code.
2ZipsAnti-theft double zips, plus an expander zip that takes the case from 77 L to 88 L and the depth from 32 cm to 35 cm.
3ID tagBuilt-in tag for your name and contact details. Qantas asks for name, address and contact details on every checked bag.[1]
Shell and weightHard shell, 3.4 kg empty, 68 × 47 × 32 cm with the height measured including the wheels.
WheelsDouble spinner wheels, with elastic cross ribbons inside to hold packed items in place.
WarrantyLimited 10-year global warranty from the maker.

Suits you if

  • You fly overseas. At 147 cm in total (a little more with the expander open) it sits inside the 158 cm international limit.[1]
  • You want the lock built in, not a padlock to buy and keep track of.
  • You pack to the limit on the way out and want room to spare on the way back.

Look elsewhere if

  • Your flights are Australian domestic. 147 cm is over the 140 cm limit at Qantas and Virgin Australia.[1, 2] Check your own airline’s current limit before you buy.
  • You need something that keeps a determined thief out. Three digits are a deterrent, not a vault.
  • You only ever travel carry-on.
Close-up of a built-in three-dial combination lock on a black hard-shell suitcase, each dial showing a digit with the two adjacent digits visible above and below it, next to a red TSA-style diamond mark
A built-in three-dial lock at the zip seam, shown mid-turn: each dial’s neighbouring digits are visible above and below the one in line. Illustration only; the exact lock housing of the listed case may differ slightly, so check the photos in the listing.

05 Before you pack

Five habits that make any lock work harder

  1. Set your own code before the first trip, following the maker’s instructions. A lock only helps if the code is not the factory one, and not a birth year.
  2. Fill in the ID tag. A case that can be traced to its owner gets handed back; one that cannot ends up in the scenario at the top of this page.[1]
  3. Keep cash on you, and declare A$10,000 or more at the border. The rule covers Australian and foreign currency combined, and splitting it up to stay under the limit is against the law too.[9]
  4. Weigh the case packed. Qantas says no single piece may exceed 32 kg, and Virgin Australia gives the same figure for a single item.[1, 2] The empty case is 3.4 kg,[4] which leaves about 28 kg for your things. Your fare may allow less, so check the allowance on your booking.
  5. Photograph the packed case before you hand it over. This one is our suggestion, not an airline rule; it helps if you ever have to describe a bag.

If you fly overseas, start with this listing

Built-in lock, 147 cm in total against a 158 cm international limit, 77 L that expands to 88 L, and a 10-year warranty. The listing shows today’s price, colours, delivery and return terms. If your flights are all domestic, check your airline’s 140 cm limit first.

See the Samsonite Oc2Lite 68 cm on Amazon Australia

Amazon Australia is a separate company with no connection to Dialmark. The button is an affiliate link: if you buy after following it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. The listing shows the current price, delivery and return terms.

About this page. Dialmark is published by TwoTwoSix Pty Ltd (ABN 42 608 482 506) and is not connected with Samsonite, Amazon Australia or any airline. Facts checked: October 2026. Read more about us, or see what to do if you find a case yourself.

06 Sources

Where the facts come from

10 sources
  1. Qantas, Checked baggage: qantas.com/en-au/baggage/checked. Lock advice, screening, labelling, valuables, size limits (140 cm domestic, 158 cm international), 32 kg per piece.
  2. Virgin Australia, Checked baggage: virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/baggage/checked-baggage. 140 cm total linear size; 32 kg per item; valuables such as cash not to be packed.
  3. Travel Sentry, TSA locks: travelsentry.org/tsa-lock. Red-diamond mark, officers open and re-lock without damage, 80+ countries.
  4. Samsonite Australia, Oc2Lite 68 cm, black: samsonite.com.au/oc2lite/spinner-68-exp-s. Dimensions, capacity, weight, lock, zips, ID tag, warranty.
  5. NSW Police Force Community Portal, Lost Property Report: portal.police.nsw.gov.au/s/lost-property-definition. Online reporting and the event number within 48 hours.
  6. Audit Office of NSW, Managing drug exhibits and other high profile goods (2013): audit.nsw.gov.au (PDF). NSW Police hold lost property handed in at police stations.
  7. Brydens Lawyers, Is ‘Finders Keepers’ a Crime?: brydens.com.au. Reasonable steps to find an owner; large sums of cash expected to go to police. General information, not legal advice.
  8. Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW), s 221: austlii.edu.au. Unclaimed property not connected with an offence.
  9. AUSTRAC, Moving money overseas: austrac.gov.au. Declaring A$10,000 or more; structuring is against the law.
  10. Amazon Australia, listing for Samsonite Oc2Lite Suitcase, 68 cm: amazon.com.au/dp/B07Y277L22. Rating, number of ratings and the best-seller label as shown on the day it was read (October 2026).

Airline rules, limits and prices change. The pages above were read in October 2026; check the current version before you travel or buy.