December 20,
2008: Airport baggage handlers stealing stuff from luggage, and cargo, is an
old, and persistent, problem. Terrorism is much less of a problem, partly because
of all the additional screening passengers get. But now some thieving baggage
handlers in Los Angeles were caught working with luggage screeners (who used an
X-ray device to look inside bags for bombs or weapons). The screeners were on
the lookout for bags containing particularly valuable stuff. If one showed up,
the screener used his cell phone to alert the baggage handlers, so they could hit the right bag. Without this kind of
intel, robbing luggage is a hit or miss affair, and if you do it too often, you
get caught. These guys got caught anyway, but now airport management and
security officials are concerned that this sort of thing is happening at other
air ports.
