Staff at a major British airport, Luton, were caught on film brazenly stealing passengers’ valuables from their luggage.
Anthony Currant, 65, and Abul Hussain, 30, were jailed for stealing thousands of pounds worth of goods from travellers at the airport.
They were captured by covert police cameras over a period of six weeks helping themselves to cigarettes, jewellery and electrical goods.
The footage shows the thieves patting down luggage for tobacco cartons or iPods before snatching the contents and closing the bag.
Police caught the thieves after passengers reported an alarming number of goods going missing from their luggage.
They found the two airport cleaners were diverting bags from arrivals into a small area where they could rifle through them at leisure.
Luton Crown Court heard that bags were then sent out to arrivals carousels, where passengers would pick them up not realising their goods had been stolen.
After searching the thieves’ homes in Luton, police found more than £32,000 in cash, as well as 16,800 cigarettes, 210 packs of tobacco, electrical items and jewellery.
Thefts from luggage at the airport fell by 77 per cent after the men were caught on Feb 3.
Currant was sentenced to six months’ jail, while Hussain received a three-month term.
A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire Police said: “Items were going missing from luggage at Luton Airport and it became clear that it was a regular occurrence.
“As a lot of people do not report stolen goods from their baggage it is impossible to know how much was stolen.
"However, the fact that crime has fallen by 77 per cent since their arrest suggests they were responsible for a large amount of thefts."
An airport spokeswoman added: "London Luton Airport notes the court's decision and is pleased that the matter has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
"As it involved people working for an independent contractor it would be inappropriate to make any further comment."
Interserve, the airport service provider at Luton who employed the two cleaners, said the incident was a "police matter".
"The two gentlemen concerned no longer work for Interserve. Their employment was terminated when the thefts came to light,” he said.
Click here to view original article by Andrew Hough, Telegraph, Thursday 29th July, 2010
