A passenger traveling through Miami International Airport (MIA) unexpectedly discovered his belongings online nearly a month after he lost his luggage at the airport. Valued at around $260, the bag that the passenger accidentally left at MIA contained his personal items that ended up in an online marketplace.
The passenger said that his bag contained more than $12,000 worth of valuables, but instead of simply remaining among the airport’s lost property, some of the missing items allegedly surfaced online, where they were offered for sale. Local10 reports that an MIA worker, who acknowledged he did not know the owner of the belongings, was arrested for dealing in stolen property.
Miami International Airport Worker Sells Passenger’s Items Online
It would have been a lost luggage case for an American Airlines (AA) passenger traveling through MIA from North Carolina to Miami on June 8, but it became a criminal investigation of a contract worker at the airport, after the traveler found one of his belongings being sold online.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report revealed that the passenger’s black leather crossbody bag contained a total value of $12,377.90, including his AirPods and a Cartier Santos watch. The traveler said he was still able to track his AirPods around MIA for several days, but then the location stopped updating.
Almost a month later, on July 1, the passenger saw his missing Cartier Santos watch being sold at a New York-based website. Detectives started tracing the watch and how it ended up for sale. Investigators also said that the passenger identified his watch due to a distinctive gash on its bezel, which he later proved by showing photographs.
Officers Launch An Investigation To Trace The Watch
A subpoena on August 7 showed that the New York-based website, Danny’s Vintage Watches, where the passenger saw his watch online, bought the watch from Miami-based broker Brickell Watches, which also acquired it from Consistent Luxury LLC.
The subpoena also said that Consistent Luxury purchased the watch from Vera Jewelry, a jewelry shop in Miami. The shop also showed records and revealed that Carlos Elky Penton, 45, and a MIA contract worker, sold the watch to the shop on June 11 for $1,500, an amount described by investigators as “substantially below” the watch’s market value.
Investigators found that Penton works for Group Eulen, a contracted logistics company at MIA, which serviced the aircraft that the AA passenger had flown with on June 8. Penton, however, claimed that a co-worker gave him the watch, as he was off-duty at that time.
Penton was charged with dealing with a stolen item and was turned over to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond. TheTravel reached out to Miami International Airport for comment.
How Miami International Airport Deals With Lost And Found Items
Miami International Airport has a dedicated Lost and Found facility that stores lost items on all airport premises for 30 days, while staff attempts to identify and return them to their owners.
MIA’s procedures place particular emphasis on the prompt handling of high-value belongings, such as those of the AA passenger’s Cartier Santos watch, as well as laptops, purses, wallets, smartphones, and many more.
MIA’s Lost & Found Facility
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Airport Location: |
North Terminal D — Level 4 |
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Mailing Address: |
Miami International Airport Lost and Found Office P.O. Box 025504 Miami, FL 33102-5504 |
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Hours: |
Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. — 6 p.m. |
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Contact Number: |
(888) 355-0690 |
According to MIA’s tenant handbook, items found in the airport’s common areas, restaurants, shops, gate areas, and restrooms must be delivered to the Lost and Found immediately.
On-site pickup: Once proper ownership is confirmed, passengers may pick up their belongings during regular hours of operation. Picture ID and claim number are required.
Passengers who lost their belongings at the airport should fill out a Lost Item Claim form, while stolen items must be reported to the Miami-Dade Airport Police. MIA also reminds travelers that the airport does not charge fees to file lost items, and is “not affiliated with any company or website that charges a fee to search for lost property.”
Impact Of MIA’s Lost Property Incidents on Travelers
The reported lost luggage case is not the only recent incident to raise concerns about passenger experiences and security at Miami International Airport. The airport has also seen several operational challenges and employee setbacks, including those by major airlines.
Last year, MIA witnessed a Canadian traveler being arrested for attacking passengers and TSA agents for “no reason.” The airport also dealt with a wheelchair passenger abandoned by American Airlines overnight.
They’re different in nature, but they have an impact on the importance of strong safeguards for passengers and their belongings at MIA. While the airport has its own procedures for Lost and Found items, the recent arrest of a contract worker could further affect travelers’ confidence in passing through the airport, and how employees can be trusted when valuable belongings are lost in airport premises.
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