At least since the early 1960s Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger LaFrance" <lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 7:26 PM Subject: Airline worker accuses colleagues of looting fliers' bags Airline worker accuses colleagues of looting fliers' bagsComments 7 | Recommend Buzz up! Like this story? Share it with Yahoo! Buzz Fresh off the news that a major theft ring was broken up at the St. Louis airport, ABC News casts a suspicious light on airline workers -- suggesting they may be responsible for at least some of thousands of items that fliers report "missing" from their luggage each year. In its story, ABC writes it talked to "one airline employee has come forward to say the thieves are actually her co-workers. A Continental Airlines employee in Houston talked to ABC News affiliate KTRK on the condition that her identity be disguised. The woman said she has seen fellow employees rifle through bags at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, saying that while security is tight at check-in, luggage isn't nearly as safe once it's moved to a loading area." ABC asked Continental for its take on the accusation. The airline issued a statement to the network, saying: "Thefts from baggage are extremely rare. We have active security operations at airports including IAH [Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport]. We assist law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting theft cases when they arise." Still, ABC's unnamed airline worker claims "it happens every day." As for last month's bust of a St. Louis theft ring, The Associated Press reported that "eight contract baggage handlers for Delta Airlines rifled through hundreds of bags of luggage at Lambert Airport over a period of more than a year, stealing some 900 items ranging from laptops and iPods to cologne and cigarettes." And that's not all, according to ABC, which says another theft was broken up recently in Hartford in which â??state troopers arrested 11 people who worked at Bradley Airport for stealing from bags being unloaded from flights. Police said the thefts had been taking place for years." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE". <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".