Los Angeles News

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― When you pack your bags for a flight, you expect your belongings to be there when you arrive at your destination. But an exclusive investigation by CBS 2's David Goldstein found that is not always the case. In fact, LAX topped the list of airports for items being reported stolen or missing from luggage!

Behind the takeoffs and landings there is a hidden underworld at LAX.

"Hey you stealing stuff out of luggage?"

Police say two baggage handlers did more than just carry your luggage. They allegedly helped themselves to what was inside.

LAPD officers recovered 272 stolen items, plus more than $10,000 in cash!

It was the biggest passenger theft bust in LAX's history. Police recovered dozens and dozens of purses, cameras, computers, designer sunglasses and currency from more than a dozen countries around the world!

The loot was recovered at the homes of Roman Jaime and Carlos Garcia.

We were there exclusively, as the two were arrested right on the tarmac at LAX on October 30th. Undercover LAPD officers were led to the pair because many of the flights they worked had reports of thefts from baggage.

In fact, almost every day, according to reports we've obtained, someone claimed an item was stolen out of their luggage at LAX.

"It's very easy for someone to get into some of these places and open a piece of luggage and steal."

The statistics back it up. We've obtained reports from the federal government with claims of items stolen from luggage at LAX, claims by passengers of items missing. Over the past seven and a half years, more passengers have claimed items were missing from their luggage at LAX than any other airport in the nation.

LAX tops the list with more than 3,700 claims since 2001, totaling more than $300 million, although TSA only paid off a small fraction.

JFK is second with a thousand less claims. Newark is third.

Passengers at LAX say they are missing 645 digital cameras, 451 pieces of jewelry and 389 laptops.

"Easy pickings?"

"Easy pickings."

"I wouldn't put anything valuable in LAX"

These two LAX employees would only talk if we concealed their identities.

"I saw thefts within the first few weeks of working there."

They both say there are organized rings of thieves, who identify valuables in your checked luggage by looking at the TSA x-ray screens, then communicate with baggage handlers by text or cell phone, telling them exactly what to look for.

"This is a laptop here, VCR here and it's located in this area of the bag. Here's the color of the bag. They give them all the information they need to know."

"He was going through the bag like he was searching it? Yeah searching it."

Sky Nguyen knows firsthand. He took this picture of a TSA screener with his camera phone after he saw the agent steal his iPod.

"You saw the Nano in here? Yeah inside here between the glove and palm."

The TSA agent was arrested and charged with theft.

In fact, we've found that more than 30 employees at LAX were arrested for theft in just the first nine months of this year.

"Do you have any remorse for what you did? You're stealing from the traveling public."

Trene Phillips was one of them. This TSA screener was charged with stealing an American express card from a bag she was searching. She's pleaded not guilty.

"Aren't you violating people's trust? You're there for safety and then you steal something from someone?"

TSA says it is not just their employees stealing at checkpoints.

They gave us a surveillance video showing a woman taking off her jewelry at the checkpoint and putting it in one of those plastic bins. She then comes through the metal detector and forgets to pick it up, but the next passenger did! She dumps the contents in her own purse.

But sources say employees are the main thieves and airlines are also victims, because the baggage handlers work for private companies. They are successful because our sources say some of the surveillance cameras at LAX either don't work or aren't positioned properly.

These two guys have been there for four years and police say they may have been stealing for quite some time.

"What advice would you have for travelers?"

"If I was a traveler, I say watch your bag."

LAX officials claim overall crime at the airport is down this year. They add that since the airport screens more baggage than any other airport in the country, it's no surprise LAX is number one in theft claims.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)