Michael G., (name on file) 38, was employed by El Al as a member of its cabin crew staff, generally assigned to business class. The indictment against Michael in the Rishon L’tzion Magistrate court alleges that he would wait until passengers were sleeping and then open overhead compartments and steal from their belongings, generally money and expensive items.

Michael worked for El Al for 15 years. The indictment against him contains eight cases in which he allegedly stole from passengers. On one flight from Tel Aviv to Hong Kong, Michael saw a passenger place his small private case in the overhead compartment. When the passenger was asleep he removed NIS 1,000 from the case along with documents and an ID card. During another flight to Hong Kong a passenger exchanged shekels for S. Korean won and here to Michael saw he placed his case overhead, permitting him to take 30,000 won in cash.

During one flight to Thailand one of the passengers asked to store his personal bag in business class for the tourist class overhead bins were full. Michael accommodated the passenger and allegedly took $2000 and NIS 200 in cash. In another case on a flight to Thailand he allegedly took €200 and NIS 200 in cash. In another case he is suspected of taking a new iPhone 6 from a passenger on a flight to London.

An indictment was also filed against Michael’s wife. She was waiting for Michael at Ben-Gurion when a policeman asked to see the phone she was holding. She tried to avoid the inspection but ultimately was compelled to show the phone, which was identified as the phone he stole a few weeks earlier.

It is pointed out that he has not been an El Al employee since January 2015.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)