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Spanish police arrest airport staff over theft of passengers’ valuables

Spanish police said Friday they have arrested 14 workers at the main airport on the Canary island of Tenerife on suspicion of stealing €2 million worth of watches, laptops and other valuables from checked-in luggage.

Published: 15 December 2023 16:46 CET
tenerife airport theft
Tenerife South airport handled 10.8 million passengers last year, making it Spain's seventh busiest airport, according to state-controlled airport operator Aena.(Photo by DESIREE MARTIN / AFP)

Officers seized items worth nearly €2 million ($2.2 million) which they suspect were stolen by employees of Tenerife South airport, including 29 luxury watches, 22 high-end smartphones and 120 pieces of jewellery, as part of their operation, police said in a statement.

Police believe the 14 arrested suspects sold many other stolen items either to local stores or online.

Another 20 employees of the airport are under investigation as well as 27 jewellery shops in Tenerife, one of the seven islands which make up Spain’s Canary Islands.

Police said they began their investigation after getting a rise in complaints from passengers about thefts from their checked bags.

The authorities believe the thefts happened as baggage were placed in the hold of aircraft, with the suspects forcing open the suitcases and removing valuables when they were out of sight of passengers and other employees.

“They hide the stolen items in pockets they sewed on their clothes or their own personal lockers,” the police statement said.

The suspects face charges of membership in a criminal group, robbery by force and money laundering.

Tenerife South airport handled 10.8 million passengers last year, making it Spain’s seventh busiest airport, according to state-controlled airport operator Aena.

Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands, has another airport in the north. The island is popular with northern European sunseekers.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain’s Renfe

Renfe, Spain’s national rail company, has changed the way in which you can get compensation for delays, as well as the amount of refund you are entitled to.

Published: 14 June 2024 09:38 CEST
The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain's Renfe

This changes will apply to Ave, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity trains on journeys from July 1st.

This decision comes after a meeting of the company’s Board of Directors who wanted to introduce a similar commitment to punctuality as other competing companies such as Ouigo and Iryo.

But this is not necessarily good news, because now customers will only receive compensation when the delay times are greater and the amounts will be less. 

For example, up until now if an AVE train was delayed 30 minutes you would receive a 100 percent refund, now it’s only if the delay exceeds 90 minutes, a whole hour and a half delay.

What are the new refund amounts and how long do the delays have to be?

Here’s a full breakdown of the new amounts:

Until now, 50 percent was refunded for delays of more than 15 minutes and 100 percent if they were more than 30 minutes.

Now the refunds will be 50 percent for delays of more than 60 minutes and 100 percent for those that exceed 90 minutes.

This means for example that if your train is now delayed up to 45 minutes, you won’t receive any compensation from Renfe at all.

How will the new refund system work?

You will still be able to get your refund in cash or on your card, as always, but there are now other options too including greater refund amounts, depending on what you choose. These are:

  • A refund of 200 percent of the amount depending on the delay time via a new points system managed through the Más Renfe card ‘Renfecitos’. 
  • Compensation as a voucher to buy another ticket. In this case, the refund will be 150 percent of the amount for both delays of 60 minutes and those greater than 90 minutes.

If you choose the refund of the amount on your bank card, you can request it at renfe.com or at the station ticket offices and travel agencies.

If you choose the refund voucher, you can only get it online. In this case you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of six months from when you have obtained the discount code to purchase the new ticket.

If you choose to be refunded with Renfe Points, you must also do this online. This option is only available for tickets purchased with a credit/debit card or cash. The points will be credited directly to your account and you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of three years to use the points.

To claim delays on Avlo trains, you can do this through the automatic compensation system at www.avlorenfe.com or www.renfe.com. Compensation is paid through the same payment method as you used to purchase your ticket. You will have a maximum period of three months from the date of the trip to request it.

For compensation for delays on integrated tickets, you can apply for compensation at points of sale and customer service at the stations.

In 2023 Renfe paid out €42 million to its customers in compensation for delays. An amount that could have risen to almost €70 million if all affected users had requested compensation.

With this change, Renfe seeks to reduce the amount.

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