Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Ten workers at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, including employees of Delta Air Lines Inc. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, were charged with being part of a drug-smuggling ring, U.S. prosecutors said.

Federal agents today arrested 18 people who were part of an international heroin, cocaine and ecstasy importation group, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said in a statement. The group concealed narcotics in luggage and used airport workers to smuggle the drugs aboard commercial flights to JFK, she said.

``The investigation uncovered a major international drug importation and distribution organization'' prosecutors said in their criminal complaint unsealed today. Both airlines said they cooperated with investigators.

Seven workers for Delta, the third-largest U.S. carrier, one employee from American, the world's largest carrier, a worker for Delta subcontractor Aramark Corp. and an airport courier were named in the criminal complaint. All the workers are based at Kennedy airport, Mauskopf said in a statement.

Henry Polanco, 31, a New York man described in court papers as the group's leader, also was charged. Polanco allegedly dealt with drug suppliers in the Dominican Republic, according to prosecutors.

``Polanco utilized transportation networks consisting primarily of corrupt airline employees,'' prosecutors said.

Charges

Polanco, Delta employee Jorge Espinal, 38, Aramark worker Migdalia Sosa, 50, and American baggage handler Elsen Vasquez, 28, described in court papers as Espinal's stepbrother, were charged with conspiracy to import a controlled substance, a crime punishable by as long as life in prison and a $4 million fine, Mauskopf said in a statement.

Most of the workers charged in the scheme had access to what was called ``the ramp,'' which authorities described as the secure portion of the airport including runways and areas where cargo, baggage and passengers are contained before clearing customs, according to the criminal complaint.

Sosa, described as Espinal's live-in girlfriend, served as a lookout, prosecutors said. She monitored law-enforcement activity in and near the airport and reported what she saw to Espinal, who supervised cargo loading on outbound flights, according to prosecutors.

Sosa worked at an Aramark unit that provided facilities management services to Delta, according to the criminal complaint. Sosa had access to the airport tower and engaged in ``counter-surveillance for the organization to alert its members to the activities in law enforcement which may endanger their criminal schemes,'' prosecutors said.

Leave `Gift'

Investigators wiretapped the defendant's telephones and interrupted their activities, prosecutors said. In August, federal agents intercepted a drug supplier who advised Polanco that ``he was flying,'' which meant a courier carrying drugs for the group had left the Dominican Republic.

Agents, alerted to the man's arrival, went to JFK's customs area to meet him, according to prosecutors. Espinal telephoned Polanco to warn him of the presence of law enforcement at customs and asked Polanco to tell the courier to leave the ``gift'' on the plane, according to court documents.

The courier was arrested for possessing a suitcase containing 10 kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of heroin and was charged separately.

Airlines Cooperated

``We have been cooperating with authorities, both state and federal, for several months, Delta spokeswoman Chris Kelly said in a phone interview. ``We have been assisting them in this investigation. All of those who were arrested today were suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.''

American spokesman Tim Smith said Vasquez worked for the airline as a part-time employee.

``We have been working with the authorities on this investigation'' Smith said in a phone interview.

During the two-year investigation of the group, federal agents seized more than 46 kilograms of cocaine, 25 kilograms of heroin and three kilograms of ecstasy.

The defendants were brought before a federal magistrate in Brooklyn, New York, today. Sosa was released on $500,000 bond, Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Patricia Notopoulos said in an e-mail.

Polanco, who was in jail in an unrelated case, is expected to be brought to federal court in Brooklyn next week, Notopoulos said. She said Magistrate-Judge Steven Gold today ordered that Espinal and Vasquez be detained.

UAL Corp.'s United Airlines is the second-largest U.S. carrier.

The case is U.S. v. Henry Polanco, 07-M-1115, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

To contact the reporter on this story: Patricia Hurtado in New York State Supreme Court at Pathurtado@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 16, 2007 22:32 EDT