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Mumbai, Feb. 24: (PTI): Four loaders who allegedly prised open passengers’ bags, stole valuables and zipped them back to avoid detection were held at Mumbai airport today.
Police have seized from them 32 cellphones, 26 digital cameras, pens, wristwatches, gold and silver jewellery valued at more than Rs 11 lakh.
One of the four, 40-year-old Nitin Nevalkar, had been arrested on similar charges 10 years ago, Rakesh Maria, the joint commissioner of police (crime), said.
Another, Shailesh, 33, had been held for alleged extortion nine years ago, he said, raising questions on checks run by airlines and private firms when they hire baggage handlers.
“The arrested persons used to unzip the passengers’ bags using a pen or a pin, take out the valuables and zip them back,” Maria said.
The four have confessed to “50-60 cases” since 2006.
“They sold the stolen valuables to friends and relatives, were addicted to online lottery and had lost most of their money,” Maria added.
The arrests followed complaints from passengers who later found out that valuables had been stolen from their bags |