KARACHI: The United Kingdom police have asked the PIA
management to stop its crewmembers, including airhostesses and stewards,
from stealing goods from hotels and shops during their stay in that
country, it is learnt reliably.
According to sources, a superintendent of Greater Manchester Police,
North Manchester Division, Stuart Ellison, said in a communication to
the Pakistan International Airlines: “I would be grateful if PIA could
confirm by return the steps it will take internally to support us as we
look to solve this problem together.”
After repeated attempts to contact him, PIA spokesman Sultan Hassan
said the query had been communicated to the department concerned and its
response was awaited.
Mr Ellison said that retailers, hoteliers and individuals had been
voicing concerns over the conduct of PIA crew. The goods stolen form
hotels included gowns, towels, kettles and glasses, he said.
Some of the key retailers from the Market Street Area of Manchester were regularly detaining PIA crew for shoplifting offences.
He said PIA’s reputation was at stake because if a hotel filed a
complaint, police would have to take action and detain the suspect/s and
without a backup / standby crew available the aircraft might be
delayed.
“Often the relatively low value of stolen property, the fact that
your crew have openly disclosed that they’re returning to Pakistan the
following day and the fact that the store has recovered its property has
meant that police arrests have not been sought.
However, given that there may be three PIA crews in the city at one
time, the regularity of reports of theft (shoplifting) by PIA crew has
increased to a point where positive action has to be taken.”
He said that following a complaint, “an arrest is made, your staff
members will be processed at our Custody Suite and, because of them
being overseas nationals who we cannot verify at a UK address — and
thereby assure ourselves that they would answer bail if released, they
will be kept in custody overnight and detained to appear in court the
following day”.
http://dawn.com/2012/04/14/uk-police-accuse-pia-crew-of-stealing-goods/
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