The world of commercial aviation is a top choice for people who want to travel. Naturally, plane passengers typically trust that the airline staff involved with their travel are professionals. However, this recent story of Delta Airlines gate agents using an airplane to smuggle millions of dollars in drugs says that this isn’t always the case. 

These Delta gate agents used the alleged bags of plane passengers to smuggle drugs

Oftentimes, viral news stories from the aviation industry involve unruly plane passengers. However, this time, it involves airline staff. According to The New York Post, police arrested two Delta gate agents on September 19th for smuggling $3 million worth of ketamine through the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The plane was flying from Copenhagen, Denmark. One of the gate agents is named Leandro Alleyne, and the other is Fabian Innis. 

So, how did this happen? Well, while these two gate agents should have been helping plane passengers, they were removing backpacks from a flight that had just arrived at JFK. They then loaded them onto a baggage transportation vehicle and took the baggage to a “deserted” part of the tarmac. Delta Airlines has said neither gate agent had clearance to remove bags from the plane or operate the vehicle. 

Luckily, the US Department of Homeland Security saw the two gate agents going against their guidelines. Naturally, they approached them as they began to open several bags. According to reports, the luggage had tags with the names of plane passengers, but it’s unclear if any of the people were actually involved in the drug smuggling. 

The luggage contained several plastic bags with “a white crystallized substance.” It later tested positive for being ketamine. In total, the bags had 134 pounds of the drug, which is worth the previously mentioned $3 million on the street. 

Regarding the gate agents, Innis says, “he has done this at least five to 10 times in the past.” He also said he “knew the bags contained drugs based on conversations with Alleyne, but did not know the type of drug.” Additionally, Innis says he made “approximately $4,000 to $5,000 per flight.” They both pleaded not guilty to drug importation and drug smuggling and bonded out for $50,000.