Ukrainian official: Russian rebels looting crash site for jewelry, cash, credit cards
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...cene/12827931/
A mob of cold-hearted looters swarmed the Ukrainian field where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashed Thursday, pillaging victims' possessions from the site where 298 people died.
Officials have no idea how many items have been mercilessly stolen, but the raids could interfere with the investigation into the airline disaster, USA Today reported.
Investigators pulled luggage from the charred crime scene Friday, but many pieces had already been opened and riled through, witnesses said.
Among the items the raiders left behind: a Minnie Mouse lunchbox, a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal, family photographs and still intact passports.
The looting at the massive 10-mile crash site is only part of the investigation's chaos, USA Today reported.
The recovery effort lacks organization. Possessions found in the debris ? the ones that have not yet been stolen ? have not been categorized as per standard crime scene procedures.
The scene has not been roped off, and unidentified men are allowed to walk into the area. That move likely encouraged the heartless ransacking.
While crews on the ground continued to comb through the wreck, other investigators search for details about what caused the crash.
U.S. satellites confirmed that the plane was stuck by a missile launched from the ground, but it's unclear who launched it. Ukraine and Russia have each blamed each other for the disaster.
The Thursday crash killed all 298 people on board, including 15 crew members.