Airport worker arrested for stealing from passengers’ luggage in Fuerteventura
A Fuerteventura airport employee has been arrested after allegedly targeting travellers’ checked luggage in a series of thefts that police say may have been going on for months.
A baggage handler at Fuerteventura Airport was detained by the Guardia Civil as part of Operation Bodega, following an investigation into repeated thefts from suitcases in restricted airport areas.
The case came to light after a passenger reported that €5,000 in cash had vanished from her checked luggage on 3rd December 2025. The money was inside an envelope, and disappeared from a suitcase loaded onto a flight bound for London Gatwick.
Officers reviewed CCTV footage from baggage-handling zones and identified an airport worker allegedly opening a suitcase matching the victim's description. Investigators say the images show the suspect acting alone and deliberately choosing moments when he could not be seen by other staff.
According to the Guardia Civil, the footage appears to show the worker placing stolen items into the pockets of his work clothing. Further enquiries suggest this was not an isolated incident but part of a repeated pattern of thefts.
As the investigation widened, police worked with the airport’s baggage handling system operator to trace other potentially affected flights and contacted several airlines. Officers also checked with gold-buying businesses and second-hand shops across Fuerteventura.
These checks uncovered numerous jewellery sales made by the suspect during 2025, with transactions totalling €9,291. Police believe the items sold may have come from passengers’ luggage.
Following the arrest, officers searched the man’s vehicle and recovered small items of jewellery, along with banknotes in various foreign currencies. The Guardia Civil estimates that the total value of stolen goods, including cash, jewellery and attempted thefts, could reach €14,291.
The suspect has been placed before the courts, while the investigation remains open. Police have not ruled out further charges and are urging other passengers who may have experienced missing items to come forward.
Share:
