Travel News > July 2010 > Cleaners at Luton Airport arrested for stealing from airport baggage

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Cleaners at Luton Airport arrested for stealing from airport baggage

29/07/2010

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When we check our baggage in at the airport, we want to know that our belongings are in safe hands and that we won't become targets of thieves. We trust airport baggage staff to safely transport our suitcases to and from the plane without interfering with the contents.

When staff members at Luton Airport received reports of numerous thefts from airport baggage, alarm bells started to ring. Airport security set up a series of hidden cameras in order to get to the bottom of the disappearing belongings.

Two airport cleaners were caught red handed. The security cameras revealed how they diverted airport baggage into a hidden area where they could rifle through the cases unnoticed, retrieving items such as iPods and cigarettes. When the targeted suitcases were returned to the baggage carousel, passengers were unaware that they had been tampered with.

When the thieves were arrested, their homes were searched - £32,000 was seized, along with thousands of cigarettes, electrical items and jewellery.

After the arrest of the thieves, the level of crime at Luton Airport baggage control fell by 77%. Both men received a short term prison sentence. The two cleaners worked for an independent contractor called Interserve, and their employment was immediately terminated after their arrest.

If you are flying abroad this summer and you are concerned about airport baggage thefts, a few precautionary measures will ensure your belongings are protected.

Store any valuables in your hand luggage instead of your hold luggage and secure your suitcase with a padlock. Though a padlock isn't a sure-fire way of stopping thieves accessing the contents of your case, it can help to deter them. Make sure you buy comprehensive travel insurance, as it will cover the cost of any stolen belongings.

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