Three employees of a Japan Airlines Corp subsidiary are suspected of stealing digital cameras and other items left aboard planes by passengers, aviation industry sources said on May 30.

The employees, aged between 19 and 21, have admitted to their theft to police, the sources said. Their employer is JAL Ground Air Service Co that undertakes the cleaning of aircraft.

The men are alleged to have stolen two digital cameras, an iPod music player and a Nintendo DS portable game console between April and November last year. Some of the items were stolen when the suspects found them aboard planes while cleaning.

The incident came to light via an internal probe by JAL and other entities, prompting the airline to submit a damage report to the police, the sources said.