New Delhi: Landing at your destination without all your luggage can be nothing short of a nightmare. Some travelers have had a similar experience as a gang of loaders working at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has been stealing valuables from passengers’ check-in baggage. In a joint operation, Delhi Police arrested 8 loaders working with ground handling agencies along with airlines’ vigilance department at IGI airport for stealing valuables like cash, jewelery and electronics items from passengers’ luggage Is. The arrested people have been identified as Deepak Pal, Gautam Kumar, Moshin Khan, Rahul Yadav, Yashwinder, Pappi Kumar, Neeraj Kumar and Kamal Kumar. Police said that all of them had formed a gang.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Ravi Kumar Singh, on January 11, joint teams nabbed Deepak Pal, a loader, who attempted to steal from the check-in baggage of a passenger boarding a flight.
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The DCP said, “On interrogation he revealed that he was working as a loader in a company providing ground handling assistance since 2018. He started stealing from passengers’ luggage whenever he got a chance.” ” Gradually, he came in contact with seven other loaders and ground handling staff from other airlines and agencies.
“Since all of them were living in nearby areas and working almost at the same time shift, all of them with active collusion and with ulterior motives formed a gang and started stealing goods on a large scale,” the officer said. gave.”
“Raids were conducted and all the other seven accused were arrested. A huge amount of stolen goods were recovered from their possession, which included gold and silver jewelery worth Rs 10 lakh, 6 branded watches, Apple iPhone, Rs 1,15,000 cash and other items. said the officer.
Describing the modus operandi of the gang, the DCP said that all the accused used to work in collusion with each other.
“The accused used to steal articles from passengers’ bags and hide the stolen articles in lockers and other places within the airport. Later, whenever they got an opportunity, they used to hide the stolen articles inside their undergarments ” and exit the airport,” the official said, adding that efforts are on to trace other beneficiaries and buyers of the stolen goods.
The DCP advised frequent fliers and air passengers to keep their valuables such as cash, jewelery and electronics inside their hand luggage. “Valuable items should always be carried in hand-held baggage to ensure proper care of it,” said the police officer.
(With inputs from IANS)