Security Cameras Catch Airport Workers Stealing From Passengers' Bags

A hidden camera has captured baggage handlers at Miami International Airport stealing from people's luggage.

According to CNN, the sting operation set up by the Miami-Dade Police Department shows the handlers going through bags before and after they are taken into the plane's cargo area.

Miami police arrested six airline employees for theft this year on top of the 25 who have been arrested since 2012.

But it's New York's John F. Kennedy airport that has had the most claims of lost property, with 2,493 filed since 2010.

Two JFK baggage handlers were arrested in 2014 for stealing designer handbags from a suitcase and trying to sell them on eBay.

Another seven were charged for theft last December.

A total of 30,621 claims of missing valuables have been filed with the TSA since 2010, which amounts to $2.5 million worth of items.

Los Angeles International, Orlando International and Miami International round out the top four airports with the most lost property claims.

The problem spans all the way to Israel, where a hidden camera found workers at El Al Airlines stealing cash, watches, iPhones, iPads, cameras and jewelry in 2013.

Similar items were found by Los Angeles police last year when they raided 25 locations in an operation that led to the termination of 16 workers.

The TSA has fired 513 employees due to theft over the past 13 years.

Perhaps the biggest reason so many baggage handlers steal is that Miami and Orlando are the only major US airports that require workers to go through metal detectors.

It's only Miami, however, that conducts an additional security check when employees leave work.

Citations: Hidden cameras reveal airport workers stealing from luggage (CNN)