AICHI, Jul 18 (News On Japan) - A man in his 30s from Aichi Prefecture has been referred to prosecutors for abandoning a suitcase at Chubu Centrair International Airport. The case highlights a growing issue of unclaimed luggage being left behind at the airport.
"This is a portion of the suitcases currently kept as lost items at the Chubu Airport Police Station," reported a local journalist.
Since the beginning of the year, approximately 80 unclaimed suitcases have been found abandoned in places such as the airport lobby.
According to Yuho Tanaka from the Chubu International Airport Information Group, "There’s been a visible increase since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic."
While most of the cases are believed to involve foreign tourists, the man referred to prosecutors this time reportedly discovered just before departure that his suitcase exceeded the airline's size restrictions. He is said to have emptied the contents and left the suitcase behind.
Suitcases found at the airport are treated as "suspicious items" and must undergo X-ray screening and other inspections. Police are urging travelers to take full responsibility for disposing of their belongings properly.
Source: TBS