{"id":122394,"date":"2023-12-15T16:09:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T16:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/?p=122394"},"modified":"2023-12-15T16:09:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T16:09:09","slug":"staggering-1-7m-worth-of-valuables-stolen-from-suitcases-at-island-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/world-news\/staggering-1-7m-worth-of-valuables-stolen-from-suitcases-at-island-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Staggering \u00a31.7m worth of valuables stolen from suitcases at island airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Police arrest 14 people for stealing valuables from Tenerife South Airport<\/h3>\n

Police\u00a0have arrested 14 people after a staggering \u00a31.7million worth of valuables went missing from tourists’ suitcases at an airport in a popular holiday destination.<\/p>\n

Detectives arrested 14 workers at Tenerife South Airport and say 20 more airport employees have been placed under investigation following the string of thefts.<\/p>\n

The operation to snare them was launched after an increase in the number of complaints from passengers who said items had gone missing from their luggage.<\/p>\n

Nearly 30 designer watches have been recovered along with jewellery, phones, electronic devices as well as \u00a311,000 (13,000 euros in cash.<\/p>\n

Spanish police released footage showing them frisking suspects they had held before opening up their lockers to discover stolen items.<\/p>\n

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READ MORE: <\/strong> Spain holiday warning as country plans strict ban on beaches<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A spokesman for the Civil Guard, which led Operation Orotel as it was codenamed, said: \u201cThe value of the recovered items stands at nearly \u00a31.7million (\u20ac2million).<\/p>\n

\u201cFourteen people have been arrested at Tenerife South Airport and 20 other people placed under investigation on suspicion of robbery, membership of a criminal gang and money laundering. The operation began after an increase in the number of complaints from passengers who said valuables and cash had been stolen from suitcases they had checked in. The victims are of different nationalities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe suspects allegedly took advantage of their jobs at the airport to load and unload cases at a slower rhythm and putting greater distance between each case.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would also open the luggage once it was inside the hold, out of view of passengers and other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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