“Operation Last Call” nabs 18 who nipped 100,000 nips at JFK Airport

Some of the nipped nips, courtesy of the Queens (NY) District Attorney’s Office

In one of those ‘only in New York’ stories, on Wednesday, the Queens District Attorney
announced that 18 airport workers – fifteen present and former
truck drivers employed by LSG Sky Chefs, the food and beverage subcontractor for American Airlines, along with several security guards, were arrested and charged in connection with the theft of more than 100,000 mini bottles (nips) of liquor and other items, including perfume and cartons of cigarettes, from John F. Kennedy International Airport over the last five months.

The investigation was dubbed “Operation Last Call” and the defendants are charged with stealing more than $750,000 worth of items. According to the press release from district attorney Brown’s office, most of the defendants were arrested “after they were summoned to attend an important security meeting at the airport” and, at the residence of one of the defendants “…alleged items seized … were 500 to 600 garbage bags filled with mini liquor bottles (each bag containing approximately 100 bottles) worth between $385,000 and $420,000, as well as $34,000 in cash.”

Thanks for visiting Stuck at the Airport. Subscribe to get daily travel tidbits. And follow me on Twitter at @hbaskas and Instagram.