Tenerife airport workers arrested as stolen luggage complaints rise
Spanish police arrested 14 workers at the main airport on the holiday island of Tenerife on Friday on suspicion of stealing watches, laptops and other valuables from checked-in luggage.
Officers seized items worth nearly €2 million (£1.72 million) which they suspected were stolen by employees of Tenerife South airport, including 29 luxury watches, 22 high-end smartphones and 120 pieces of jewellery, police said.
They believe the suspects sold many other stolen items to local stores or online.
Another 20 airport employees are being investigated as well as 27 jewellery shops on the Spanish Canary island.
Police became involved after rising complaints from passengers about thefts from their checked bags.
The UK is Tenerife’s largest market for inbound tourism.
About 2.3 million visits to the island were made by UK citizens last year compared with 800,000 from mainland Spain, according to the Canary Islands authorities.
Suitcases forced open
Tenerife South airport is served by airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways.
The authorities believe the thefts occurred as baggage was placed in the hold of aircrafts, with the suspects forcing open the suitcases and removing valuables out of sight of passengers and other employees.
“They hid the stolen items in pockets they sewed on their clothes or their own personal lockers,” the police said.
The suspects face charges of membership in a criminal group, robbery by force and money laundering.
The airport handled 10.8 million passengers last year, making it Spain’s seventh busiest hub, according to Aena, the state-controlled airport operator.
