195 held for airline ticket fraud in int'l operation: Europol

A total of 195 individuals suspected of traveling with airline tickets bought using stolen, compromised or fake credit card details have been detained in a major international law enforcement operation targeting airline fraudsters, Europol announced on Tuesday.

During the action week from Oct. 16 to 20, 61 countries, 63 airlines and 6 online travel agencies were involved in the 10th edition of the Global Airport Action Days (GAAD) which took place at over 226 airports across the world, said the European Union's law enforcement agency.

Investigations are ongoing on the 195 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 the International Air Transport Association (IATA) worked together with experts from Europol's European Cybercrime Center to identify suspicious transactions and provide confirmation to law enforcement officers deployed in the airports.

The IATA estimates that the airline industry loses over 1 billion U.S. dollars per year as a result of the fraudulent online purchases of flight tickets. Fraudulent online transactions are highly lucrative for organized 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 organized through coordination centers at Europol in The Hague, INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore and Ameripol in Bogota, and 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 (AIRCOP) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) also assisted the action.