Jewellery, computer parts
reported stolen at PJIA
~ KLM detectives still probing earlier heist ~
PHILIPSBURG--Security at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) may come into question again as a result of another theft in which jewellery and computer parts reportedly were stolen from the cargo section on Monday.
Police spokesman Chief Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard said Tuesday that detectives were probing the incident, which had been reported to them by a pilot of Ameriflight 695.
Ameriflight is a California, USA-based air-cargo company.
According to the report, the flight arrived in St. Maarten around 2:15pm Monday and the pilot accidentally slammed into the security gate in the cargo section at the airport.
This resulted in some cargo falling from the aircraft.
The pilot exited the aircraft to examine the damage to one of its wings and it was later discovered that a bag containing jewellery and another bag containing computer parts were missing. The bags were to have been delivered to UPS courier service for delivery on the island.
Authorities said they weren’t certain whether security personnel had been in the area where the aircraft was at the time of the reported theft.
Meanwhile, KLM private investigators who arrived last week to investigate a recent heist of more than US $800,000 in watches and jewellery at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) are still here trying to find out, amongst other things, how the breach in security at PJIA’s cargo facility was possible.
Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein told The Daily Herald on Tuesday there were still no new developments since the seven jewellery companies’ Christmas shipment was stolen from the cargo building.
Local attorneys representing a major jewellery retailer on the island had said the heist was most likely an “inside job.” They had also indicated that they were concerned about security at the airport.
However, PJIA President Director Eugene Holiday had released a statement later in which he said there had been no breach of security at the cargo building.
The items stolen had been flown into St. Maarten on a KLM flight and stolen within 12 hours of their arrival. The cargo was delivered to Swiss Port Cargo Service, formerly Aero Cargo NV, where it reportedly was being kept in a safe. But two boxes belonging to one jewellery company were found in an open area during an inspection of the facility after the theft was reported.
