According to Spanish authorities, 14 employees of an airport frequented by vacationers from the UK have been detained on suspicion of stealing goods from luggage.
At the Tenerife South airport in the Canary Islands of Spain, officers apprehended a group of employees in possession of purportedly stolen goods valued at about two million euros, or £1.7 million.
Twenty more employees are the subject of an investigation. Tenerife’s main source of incoming tourists is the United Kingdom.
According to the Canary Islands government, there were about 2.3 million visitors to the island from UK citizens last year, compared to 800,000 from mainland Spain.
Tenerife South airport is served by airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways.
National police force Guardia Civil launched an investigation after a spike in passenger complaints about items missing from their luggage.
It said the thefts happened after baggage was placed in the hold of planes.
Airport workers forced open suitcases, took out valuables and shut them, leaving no sign of tampering.
Screens designed to stop luggage moving during flights were positioned to hide their actions.
Workers removed stolen items from the airport using hidden compartments inside clothing and equipment, police said.
The number of Brit tourists heading to Tenerife has increased since the pre-pandemic, with the island welcoming 8% more visitors from the UK from January to August this year compared with 2019.