Fourteen employees of an airport on the island of Tenerife have been arrested on suspicion of stealing items worth 2 million euros from passengers' luggage, as the Spanish police announced today.
Among the stolen items taken from passengers of various nationalities at the airport located in the southern part of the Canary Island were 29 luxury watches, 22 state-of-the-art smartphones and 120 pieces of jewelry, the press release said.
The Spanish police suspect that the 14 arrested have already sold the stolen items in shops. Another 20 workers at the airport and 27 jewelry stores on the island are also under surveillance by authorities.
The operation was launched after a series of complaints from passengers.
#OperacionesGC I Detenidos varios trabajadores del aeropuerto #Tenerife Sur but #robar en las maletas de los pasajeros
▶️14 detainees
▶️20 investigated
▶️Value of recovered effects €2Mhttps://t.co/bPGRlhBPQ2 pic.twitter.com/Na7ol4Hki6– Civil Guard (@guardiacivil) December 15, 2023
The thefts occurred while the suitcases were being placed in the luggage compartment of the plane. According to investigators, the suspects removed the valuables while other passengers and workers were watching.
They then hid the stolen goods in pockets sewn inside their clothes or in their lockers at the airport, Spanish police said.
Tenerife Airport welcomed 10.8 million passengers in 2022, the seventh busiest Spanish airport, according to management company Aena.
