DENVER (AP) – Investigators say they check out every report of a laser aimed at aircraft near Denver International Airport, but it’s almost impossible to find the culprits.

Denver Police Capt. Brian Gallagher likens it to finding a needle in a haystack. He says investigators almost have to catch someone in the act.

The Federal Aviation Administration said last month that pilots reported 38 laser incidents around DIA in 2010, ranging from within a mile of the airport to 37 miles away.

No injuries or accidents were reported as a result of the Colorado incidents, but the FAA says lasers can temporarily blind pilots or permanently damage their eyes.

The FBI identified two suspects in one Colorado incident last year, but no charges were filed. The U.S. attorney’s office didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)