"Guam airport baggage handlers arrested for theft"

Thursday, April 12, 2007

4 arrested in luggage theft case
By Eric Palacios 
The Pacific Daily News 


Four employees of a private company contracted to perform baggage-handling
duties at the airport have been arrested for allegedly stealing items from
within departing passengers' baggage.

Guam International Airport Executive Manager Jess Torres yesterday confirmed
the arrests, and said that the four are employees of the Airport Services
International Group, or ASIG.

ASIG officials couldn't be reached for comment last night. 

The thefts, Torres alleges, happened after passenger baggage passed through
Transportation Security Administration personnel,outside to "a matrix of
sorters" located at the backside of the airport.

The investigation was initiated during the holidays, Torres said, and was
led by Airport Police officers Rick Garcia and Fidel Masga.

Garcia, Torres noted, was the person who also investigated the alleged
parking-ticket scam at the airport, which resulted in the arrests of several
people as well.

"I have full confidence in my officers," Torres said. "(Airport Police)
Chief Mark Charfauros is networking with the attorney general's office to
make sure we dot our 'I's' and cross our 'T's.'"

Torres said he could not reveal the identities of those who were arrested or
give a description of the items that were stolen.

"We don't want to jeopardize the investigation," he said.

Torres said the decision to conduct an investigation was made after numerous
airport tenants complained of the alleged scheme.

"The positive effect this entails is that it assures our passengers and
stakeholders that we don't tolerate illegal activities here at the airport,"
Torres said.

"I believe the people of Guam, and our visitors, expect me to run this
agency as efficiently and as honestly as I can -- and I will do just that,"
he said, adding that more arrests might be made in connection with the case.

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