European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Crimea Juk scams drugs and the mob by Elizabeth Neuffer new York times Ith near record numbers of travellers expected this year Al new York s Kennedy International Airport authorities there Are reporting Sharp increases in pickpocket my Luggage theft and other properly crimes and even As organized crime continues 1o hold Sway Over the Airport s cargo Industry Law enforcement officials say ils methods and targets Are shilling. While Luck hijackings and cargo tolls with the $58 minion Lufthansa theh in 1978 the biggest and most dramatic have declined in recent years the mafia has broadened ils control Over the air freight Industry through extortion in return Lor Tabor peace and in some cases by infiltrating the companies. To of this represents the changing surface of the Airport subculture in which the schemes and scams and players change but the essential Lack of crime at Juk remains. The wealth and sprawl o1 the Airport constitute a natural medium for crime a world populated by Matia Wise Guys arid Small Lime Hus Llera with such nicknames As cuban Pete and Tony heart  and where detectives Call one parking lot the cemetery because so Many murder victims have been dumped there. The fide of travellers an estimated 28 million in 1987, with 56 million pieces of Luggage is easy prey for thieves. Juk s location in new York City makes it a major organized crime target. And the huge amount of cargo estimated at $74 billion last year is an inflation to narcotics smuggling. From 50 percent to 70 percent of All the heroin seized in the United Stales by the customs service is seized at Kennedy customs officials say. At any Given moment you could have a smuggling a Templ drugs a cargo theh a car theft a purse  said Arthur r. Stiffel the customs service s top agent at the Airport. Violent crime Al Kennedy is almost nil said capt. Frank v. Fox chief of me new York port authority police s operations Al the Airport. Juk. He added is a very Sale  As for organized crime a series of Federal prosecutions has put some of new York s Matia chiefs in prison and the government operates continuing investigations at Kennedy. Mow Justice department officials say. They will Widen their investigations to focus on air Reighl companies. But some Law enforcement officials suggest that without a permanent investigative team at the Airport focusing on the mafia the control by organized crime will not be loosened. An immediate concern of the police As Well As the officials of several airlines is crime against passengers. Over All i think it s getting worse said Tad up Matsu a spokesman for Japan air lines. The japanese tourism is a Large because they carry a lot of  a senior passenger service agent Tor Kuwait airways. Aro Gad Shyhalla agreed. In Iho High season Christmas summer to got an average of at least to complaints per month about  she said detective William a Ahrens of the port authority police said for naive tourists it s like the theme Iron jaws is playing when they land " Law enforcement of Licals offer a variety of reasons the persistence of crime Al Kennedy and a Varsell solutions. The police Union customs optic gals and &.1987 lu9gage theft is Only one of Many form of crime taking place a new York s Kennedy International Airport others argue that More officers Are needed. The police have mounted periodic crackdowns on properly crime the number of officers was increased for two months last summer Foj instance but these Eilerts have succeeded in dampening the problem Only temporarily and without sniffer jail sentences and fines Law enforcement of Licals say the thieves and scam artists will keep coming Back. Since 19b4. Crimes against properly have grown steadily with increases in passenger traffic. The exception was 19h6, when fear of terrorism and other factors convinced Many tourists that they should stay Home. But this year travel has rebounded and so. Officials say has crime. Between january and August of this year there were 1,278 reported pickpocket Ings purse snatching and Luggage thefts compared with 899 during the same period in 1984. And 1,104 last year according la the police who add that the reported figures Are probably somewhat lower than the total number of crimes. Through August of this year 991 pieces of Luggage Worth an estimated $1 million were stolen compared with 696 in the same period in 1984, and hb3 last year and while pickpocket Lings had declined slightly in previous years there have been 207 reported cases in the first two thirds of this year almost As Many As in All ol1986. Kennedy has a police Force of 222 officers and 28 detectives. And like Many police precincts. Juk is ils own insular society with its own Peculiar Rater Nily. Among them officers say is the rapidly growing number of picks Many of them colombians trained at Pic pocketing academies in Mew York City and in Colombia. The police Here refer to it As the school of Bells where people learn to pick a pocket lined with razor Blades without ringing a series of attached Bells according to Law enforcement authorities their hands often Bear scars As a result. These pickpockets work in rings travelling from smuggling from pts he Al Fttie Tomt pts Tjuk. Airport to Airport but Ihorn is another group less Skillett and More Aggro Siivo who the authorities say include the growing numbers of women illegal aliens and Iho elderly. Almost All the thieves and hustlers the authorities say. View fines and jail terms As a Cost of doing business a taxi Hustle i might be lined As Little As $100. A pickpocket might serve 90 Days Al most and because Many victims Are foreign travellers Many Casos never make in Inlo court. Another Side of crime at Kennedy rarely in Ever touches tourists Kennedy is one of the mainstays of organized Cumo activity in the now York area said Edward Mcdonald head of the Federal organized crime strike Force in Brooklyn. In the 1960s and 70s. Organized crime cargo Thoyl was a major concern Lor air freight companies in 1969. $3.4 million in cargo was stolen from Kennedy and As recently As 197b, organized crime members bribed air deign employees and made Oil Wilh $5.8 million in Cash and jewelry from Lufthansa the German Anfinn but last year $ 1.14 million in cargo was reported stolen according to detective sgt. Carmine Spano these Days the aul hollies say cargo shells. Generally of clothing electronic equipment and jewelry arc usually made by employees of the Reighl and trucking companies. Law enforcement officials agree thai the Tigues do nol mean that organized crime s influence is waning today they explain the Power of the mob and the Lucchese crime family in particular comes largely through infiltration of the teamsters locals that handle air ire Ghl air freight companies the authorities charge have been forced to pay millions of dollars in payoffs because of recent and ongoing investigations the stranglehold on the air freight Industry is loosened but nol broken said Norman a. Bloch Iho special counsel of the Brooklyn slake Force. Now officials of the strike Lorce say the unit is expanding investigations to the Aff freight and trucking company employees and owners Bui organized crime at Juk goes beyond the Malia. Though Ihbe other groups Are certainly smaller and less powerful there Are jamaican Rast Alunans and nigerians involved in narcotics smuggling the aul hollies say. There arc thieves who logo passports and Cash stolen travellers chocks and operators who steal Blank airline tickets and sell them drug smuggling. Iho authorities say. Is a Conan using problem. While the heroin Trade appears to have dropped off somewhat they add. Growing amounts of cocaine Are being seized at Kennedy some smuggling Ett oms involved airline and an porn employees last Spring. -10 people including 26 employees of pan am. Were accused of smuggling Neaily to 5 billion Worth of cocaine into the urn cd slates from Brazil in the last is years they wore Able to avoid customs inspection because they knew airline procedures and had trusted positions Al the Airport the stars and stripes Page 15