Airport destroys unclaimed items

TANGERANG (JP): The destruction of unclaimed luggage and belongings, which has been piling up in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's warehouses over the past two years, began on Tuesday, a senior airport customs and excise official announced.

The official, Heru Santoso, said the items were mainly left by overseas Indonesian workers.

He said 4,821 pieces of baggage, or items weighing 91,817 kilograms, were burnt and melted in two separate locations.

Heru said items, including cloth and food, were burnt in an area near the airport's runway during night hours. Iron and metallic items were melted at Garuda's melting factory in Bekasi.

The items were destroyed based on a Ministry of Finance decree dated May 6, 1999, that allows airport authorities to burn unclaimed items if owners fail to respond to notification by the airport.

"Before execution (of the decree) we sent letters to the owners to pick up their things.

"Some of the things were already rotten and spread a putrid odor which was very upsetting to the airport officials."

Valuable unclaimed property is usually listed in an airport auction, he said. (41/edt)