News / Regional
Five airport workers nabbed for theft from tourists
25 Dec 2010 at 16:05hrs | Views
FIVE Victoria Falls people working at the Victoria Falls International
Airport have been arrested for allegedly stealing valuables worth
hundreds of dollars from luggage belonging to passengers passing through
the airport.
Worldwide, travellers are losing valuables at airports when airport staff handling their luggage open and steal from the unsuspecting travellers' bags.
Officer commanding Victoria Falls police district Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiona confirmed the arrest of the airport personnel yesterday.
He said among the suspects was a security officer, three baggage handlers from the National Handling Services (NHS) and an officer with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).
"Police working on information received went and searched a second hand dealer's bag and found gadgets which he could not account for.
"The dealer implicated the five suspects whom he said were the source of the gadgets," he said.
Chief Supt Chiona said police recovered a digital camera, a cellphone, an ipod and an iphone and a video camera.
"We have reason to suspect that these gadgets were all stolen from travellers and investigations are under way," he said.
He, however, could not give statistics of theft cases involving airport employees at Victoria Falls.
"Statistics are difficult to give because at every airport, travellers have the risk of losing valuables. The problem is that travellers will only realise that something has been stolen from their bags when they arrive at their final destination.
"This is because while they are in transit they have minimum or no contact at all with their luggage," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt Chiona said police will be out in full force during and after the festive season.
He said police had intensified patrols in residential areas as well as areas popular with tourists.
Worldwide, travellers are losing valuables at airports when airport staff handling their luggage open and steal from the unsuspecting travellers' bags.
Officer commanding Victoria Falls police district Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiona confirmed the arrest of the airport personnel yesterday.
He said among the suspects was a security officer, three baggage handlers from the National Handling Services (NHS) and an officer with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).
"Police working on information received went and searched a second hand dealer's bag and found gadgets which he could not account for.
"The dealer implicated the five suspects whom he said were the source of the gadgets," he said.
Chief Supt Chiona said police recovered a digital camera, a cellphone, an ipod and an iphone and a video camera.
"We have reason to suspect that these gadgets were all stolen from travellers and investigations are under way," he said.
He, however, could not give statistics of theft cases involving airport employees at Victoria Falls.
"Statistics are difficult to give because at every airport, travellers have the risk of losing valuables. The problem is that travellers will only realise that something has been stolen from their bags when they arrive at their final destination.
"This is because while they are in transit they have minimum or no contact at all with their luggage," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt Chiona said police will be out in full force during and after the festive season.
He said police had intensified patrols in residential areas as well as areas popular with tourists.
Source - Byo24
