It would have been airport security that made him throw it away, not customs. At that time, the UK was part of the customs union, so there were no customs on a flight between the Netherlands and UK.
They’re....close but it isn’t the same.
In case you were asking literally: security are the people that make you throw out liquids due to bomb threats and check for weapons. Customs see you after the plane across a border and check that you didn’t bring anything that requires payment of border tax. If you do, they will make you pay the tax at the border before entry.
Edit: as hand-luggage
Odd, as in the US, there is no limit if in your checked baggage if below 24% ABV, and 5 liters if 24% - 70% (carry on has much stricter limits [3.4oz or less that can fit comfortably in one quart-sized, clear, zip-top bag], but is still permitted).
https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2019/06/21/tsa-travel-tip-traveling...
You're not allowed to open the bag on the flight, obviously.
The duty free is inside the secure area, you've already passed security.
they were correct, the international arrivals required another bag check to enter the domestic part of the airport, that had the stringent TSA rules (after you went through customs and collected your luggage, before you could drop your luggage off again for your next flight).
so, it appears to be airport by airport when traveling to the US.
Not doubting your experience because policies change, but every US airport I've flown into has customs and immigration after an international flight, and after re-checking in your hold baggage if you have any, virtually all then route you to the normal TSA check before a domestic flight unless there's an airside transfer option directly to the gates.
at this point, you could no longer have anything in your checked baggage that could not go through standard TSA security, as you were already inside the secured area. some airlines (Alaska, for instance) allowed you to check your baggage PAST that security area, but you still had to make it past.
since you had already picked up your checked baggage, and no longer could get to any connecting flights without either exiting the airport completely (far away from other flights), or going through security again with your luggage to continue to the monorail, you were pretty much screwed.
editing to add: there were a lot of very unhappy people who had their airline provided or purchased past security water bottles being taken away before they could continue to their domestic flights. I have no clue exactly how far I would have had to walk outside of security to get to the domestic terminal, but my flight was so soon that I would never have chanced it.
double editing to add that I've flown international through other airports and never had that type of experience other than through Seattle.
triple editing to note that even SEATAC seemed to think this was a mess and the new international arrivals terminal is due to open "soon".
B.S.
Before a flight, a highly paid (given what they do) security theather monkey tried to demand that I forfeit an expensive bottle.
Knowing full well how it works in most countries, where the loots are split at the end of the day, I said "watch this", chugged it down, and voluntarily surrendered the now empty bottle.
At least I enjoyed it partly!
Even if later I did throw up during the flight, I prefer being sick than my luxury bottle being stolen by a security theater monkey.
It was a smelly flight however. Sorry, plane ground! Sorry, seat neighbours!
But it was funny when the stewardess asked my why I was sick: I just told the truth, I was drunk! What was she going to do anyway? Throw me out of the first class and into the main cabin?
Or this woman who similarly risked death? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/woman-downs-wh...
> “She was rolling on the ground, shouting"
She needs to learn to hold her liquor better.