Air-Ticket Fraud: 195 Suspects Detained Worldwide In October – Europol

Europol on Tuesday said 195 people suspected of travelling with airline tickets bought with stolen or fake credit cards were detained in major international law enforcement operation targeting airline fraudsters.

The European Union Law Enforcement Agency said “the arrest took place at over 226 airports across the world”, noting that investigations were ongoing on the195 detained people.

Europol said several people were caught trying to traffic drugs from Latin America to Europe, frequently flying back and forth using fraudulently purchased tickets.

Representatives from airlines, online travel agencies, payment card companies and International Air Transport Association worked together with experts from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, the enforcement agency added.

It aded that this helped to identify suspicious transactions and confirmed same to law enforcement officers deployed in airports.

The IATA estimates that the airline industry loses over 1 billion dollars annually as a result of the fraudulent online purchases of flight tickets.

Fraudulent online transactions are highly lucrative for organised crime and are often purchased to facilitate more serious criminal activities including illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings, drug smuggling and terrorism.

The GAAD was organised through coordination centres at Europol in The Hague, INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore and Ameripol in Bogota.

It was supported by Canadian as well as U.S. law enforcement authorities through the NCFTA in Pittsburgh. 

Eurojust, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the Airport Communication Project and the World Customs Organisation also assisted the action.

NAN