Four employees from JetBlue Airways and one from Delta Air Lines are accused of smuggling drug money through Logan Airport in Boston, according to The Washington Post.
The ground operations crew members from JetBlue -- Rupert Crossley, 25; Alvin Leacock, 27; Eric Vick, 24; and Anthony Trotman, 24 -- and the customer service ramp agent from Delta, 31-year-old Dino Dunkley, were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the Transportation Security Administration.
Prosecutors claim the airline workers used their security clearance to work around TSA checkpoints and smuggle the $400,000 cash into safe areas, like passenger departure gates.
Each suspect allegedly accepted a payment from a cooperating witness who posed as a member of a drug-trafficking organization, federal officials said.
The smuggling took place nine times. According to an affidavit, Vick and Dunkley placed the cash on commercial flights from Boston to Florida.
The investigation began in August 2012 and ended in February 2014.
"Security at our nation's airports is paramount and the conduct alleged today is alarming. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the federal and state investigators and airline security personnel, a potentially dangerous breach in security was identified," U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said in a statement.
Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge of the Boston branch of Homeland Security Investigations, also commended investigators in a statement.
"Today marks the culmination of a very detailed investigation," Foucart said. "I want to thank all of the security officials within Massport, TSA, Mass. State Police, and the affected airlines. Their due diligence throughout this investigation, combined with the tireless work of my special agents made today's arrests possible."
The suspects are scheduled in court later Thursday.
