The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) formed a special team to investigate some airport personnel and airline staff regarding an alleged theft incident that recently occurred at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
Passenger Kimberly Nakamura shared on social media that her jewelry box —
containing wedding rings, a diamond necklace, and earrings collectively valued at half a million pesos — went missing after her flight from Manila to Singapore late last month.
Upon landing in Singapore, she realized the box that had been placed inside a tote bag was nowhere to be found. A few days later, she returned to Manila to check on the situation at NAIA, where she was able to view CCTV footage showing her items.
Nakamura claimed that an unidentified individual stole her wedding ring, her husband’s ring, and the diamond necklace from inside the box. She added that at least one staff member even tried on the wedding ring, and despite the box being at the podium for several days, no airline staff turned it over to airport authorities.
The Airport Police Department is investigating all the airline staff who were seen handling the jewelry box. They met with Nakamura, who warned that she would file charges against everyone involved if her items were not returned.
On July 14, the items were returned to Nakamura.
“Through the relentless efforts of the Terminal 3 APD and Surveillance Team, all items were recovered. Airport Police Officers Casey San Juan and Frelyn Leda, along with CCTV analysts, followed every lead, questioned all involved parties, and stayed committed until full recovery,” MIAA General Manager Eric Ines said.
Ines, however, stated that the investigation would continue to determine whether the jewelry was actually stolen from the bag or simply left behind unintentionally. He clarified that, regardless of whether the items were stolen, proper protocols were not followed by the airline and airport personnel.
“If you find something, you should properly turn it over to lost and found… That protocol was not followed, so the items were passed around,” Ines said.
He reminded airport staff and airline security about the protocol for handling lost or missing valuables and stressed the importance of integrity among airport personnel. Any found items must be promptly reported to the lost-and-found section to ensure they are returned to their rightful owners.
