Delhi airport heist: Police arrests 7 baggage handlers, suspects higher-level involvement

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Delhi Police have arrested seven loaders for stealing valuables from the baggage of passengers at IGI airport, an official said on Saturday.

Involvement of higher functionaries in the unit can not be ruled out, he added.

The officials said that they have also recovered a huge stash of gold ornaments, luxury watches, Apple airpods and foreign currency from the possession of the accused.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Devesh Kumar Mahla said that the present FIR was registered on the complaint of one Paramjeet Kaur, a resident of Punjab. The complainant alleged that on September 16, she arrived in Delhi from Melbourne on a Singapore Airlines flight.

"Furthermore, she had to catch another flight from Delhi to Amritsar. While boarding for Amritsar, her baggage was found to be overweight, so she opened her bags and adjusted the contents. Throughout this process, the wheelchair assistant she had booked observed her. When she reached home, she realised that her gold valuables were missing from her purse, which she had kept in her check-in baggage," said the DCP.

The police team thoroughly reviewed the CCTV footage and interrogated all the loaders working during that shift.

"Finally, one of the loaders broke down and admitted to stealing the aforementioned gold jewellery and selling it to a jeweller," said the DCP.

During sustained interrogation, he disclosed that he had stolen many more items from passengers' baggage in the past, with the assistance of various staff from different airlines.

"Additionally, six more individuals were named and interrogated in connection with the thefts," said the DCP.

"It became evident that the airlines were not adhering to the periodic guidelines issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and letters issued by the Delhi Police on multiple occasions. It was also learnt that they were collaborating with these thieves," said the DCP.

"Further investigation uncovered that some higher officials of the concerned airline were involved in these incidents. Therefore, their roles are also being investigated," he added.

"To combat such thefts on airlines, the responsible officials from the concerned airlines are being interrogated and may face charges," the DCP stated.