The mystery of the missing luggage in Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport is finally solved. An American couple was arrested Monday, 3rd November 2009, after authorities initially spotted a man on the surveillance camera, entering the airport and taking a piece of luggage from a baggage carousel to the parking lot. The man identified as Keith King, 61-year-old, was detained, but soon released.

It wasn’t long until the suspect visited the same airport again and grabbed another baggage. This time the police followed him home and with a search warrant discovered no less than 1,000 missing luggages. The man appears to had been stealing them one by one and then took out what thought was of value and could use.

It’s a God awful lot of luggage, you can’t even imagine, Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes said.

Often times, when a passenger reports their bag missing, an airline will reimburse the passenger for the contents of the bag. According to an airline customer service agent, airlines can provide a passenger with up to $3,000 per bag for the contents inside.

The police also said that interviews with neighbors revealed that the couple often organized yard sales in order to profit from a variety of the stolen goods, including the suitcases themselves. Records search revealed the Kings had filed for bankruptcy in 2005. Their Waddell house is currently owned by Bayview Loan Servicing LLC and was sold to that organization on August 24, 2009.

Both spouses are now facing a multitude of charges such as theft and burglary, while authorities are now trying to identify “massive amounts of stolen items” in an attempt to reunite them with their owners.

This is no longer a Phoenix state matter, since the police said the investigation could become international.

If you believe you might be a victim call 602-495-7808.