Italy: Baggage Handlers In Airport Bust

**Panda** Sat 4 May - 6:16

Italy: Baggage Handlers In Airport Bust

Police arrest dozens of baggage handlers in Rome following
an investigation into the theft of items from passengers' bags.

12:52am UK,
Saturday 04 May 2013

Italy: Baggage Handlers In Airport Bust Cegrab-20130503-235644-211-1-522x293

Video: Italian Baggage Handlers
Busted
Enlarge

Italian police have arrested 29 baggage handlers from Rome's
Leonardo da Vinci airport after an investigation into the theft of valuable
objects from passengers' luggage.

Those arrested are accused of stealing items including cameras and mobile
phones from passengers' bags.

The arrests took place after hidden cameras were installed in airplane cargo
holds to capture footage of the alleged thefts.

Images from the cameras released by Italian authorities show baggage handlers
rifling through people's possessions and stealing a number of items including
cash.
Police captured footage of the alleged thefts
on hidden cameras
Italian national carrier Alitalia said it cooperated with police at Rome's
Leonardo da Vinci airport and in Lamezia Terme, where the investigation began in
2011 and spread to a half-dozen airports across the country.

Lamezia Terme airport deputy police chief Ferruccio Martucci said
investigators were stumped as to where the loot was being stolen and theorised
that the only place where handlers could be assured of secrecy was in the cargo
holds.

He said police installed temperature and pressure-resistant cameras in the
holds and identified the thieves.