Airport baggage handlers have been caught stealing again, but this time it’s not swiping valuables out of our checked luggage. This time, the bad guys were caught stealing credit cards, checks and money orders out of the U. S. Mail, and using some 0f their illegal profits buy iPads and other electronics in airport gift shops. The five guys arrested all worked at international Terminal 7 at JFK, where outbound flights include Cathay Pacific flights to Japan and Korea.
Tampering with the U. S. Mail is a federal offense, so these five guys could be going to jail for a long time.
This is the first time I’ve heard of baggage handlers stealing from the U. S. Mail. Such news stories are normally about thefts out of checked baggage, because baggage handlers screening your checked luggage for dangerous stuff also can see the outline of a watch, camera or some other valuable. See the ecoXplorer article on what you should never pack in checked luggage.
It is unlikely you will get back your $5,000 watch or camera, and the airlines have better lawyers than you do to protect them against paying for your loss.
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