Airport destroys unclaimed items

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)