American Airlines staff held on drug charges

New York: US agents have arrested 21 persons, nine of them American Airlines employees for allegedly smuggling suitcases loaded with cocaine.

The accused are charged with a conspiracy to distribute more than 9,000 kg of the drug in American Airlines commercial flights.

The indictment alleges that the ringleader - American Airlines employee Wilfredo Rodriguez-Rosado - had for 10 years recruited and organised a group of his airline colleagues.

The peddlers were nabbed on flights from Puerto Rico to the US.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)