Thieves Steal $2.2 Million from Tenerife Airport Luggage
Police have arrested workers at Tenerife South Airport for stealing items from passengers worth nearly $2.2 million.
Police found out about the crime after many passengers reported items had gone missing from their checked bags.
The stolen items included luxury watches, phones and cash.
Police say the items were stolen when bags were being put onto the plane. The thieves opened suitcases there, took out any valuable items, and then closed them again.
Twenty-nine watches, 120 items of jewelry, 22 cell phones, and a number of electronic items have been retrieved from the thieves. But police believe many more items have been sold online or in stores.
Police also retrieved around $14,000 in stolen cash.
By mid-December, 14 members of staff had been arrested, and another 20 were under investigation.
Tenerife South Airport is in the Canary Islands, and about 11 million passengers use it each year.
Although crimes like this are rare, travel experts recommend that you keep your valuable items in your carry-on luggage if you can. If you can't, putting a lock on your suitcase might help stop your items from being stolen.
Of course, sometimes your luggage might just be taken by accident by another passenger who thinks it's theirs.
To stop this from happening, try and use luggage that looks unique. For example, it could be a bright color, or you could put a colorful luggage strap on it.
And it's always recommended to take a picture of your luggage before you leave, to help if something is lost or stolen.
