A recent LIAT passenger says the Antigua Barbuda Airport Authority has agreed to investigate the disappearance of £850.00 from her luggage.
Deborah McCalla describes the “traumatic ordeal” in an email to Antigua News Room after she used the V.C Bird International Airport on the night of December 5th, 2017.
McCalla, a Master Herbalist and a qualified Nutritionist said after she arrived at her destination in St. Vincent she was advised by LIAT staff that her bag was not put on the flight over concerns with distilled water in it.
“They told us we could have them sent by cargo because it was highly dangerous to put them on the flight with passengers. We are talking about “distilled water” not “acid water”. We decided that we didn’t want to pay extra costs for having them go via a cargo flight, so we gave Liat staff the authority to dispose of them,” the woman wrote.
“They (Liat staff) then assured us our baggage would be sent on the FIRST FLIGHT the next day.
I was very concerned about them going through my luggage because I had mistakenly left my money (£850.00) in my rucksack. But I didn’t worry too much because I had trust in the security staff,” McCalla added.
She said “when my luggage arrived on the SECOND FLIGHT, I RAN to check if my money was still in the rucksack. It wasn’t and I instantly felt sick. My worst nightmare had manifested right before my very eyes. The security officers who had checked my bag, STOLE £850 cash from my ruck sack and left 3 bottles of “distilled water” in another one of my bags. They had got so distracted by the money that they abused their position and abandoned their duties when they found the money. They had put all those passengers at risk for £850 cash.”
The woman then took so social media to express her concerns with what had happened to her. “After all the tweeting and social media attention, I recently received a message on Facebook from V.C.Bird International airport. They have assured me they will be investigating and getting back to me asap.”
McCalla believes this is a criminal matter and would like the CCTV cameras checked “I would also like the names of the security officers who were checking my rucksack in my absence.”
She is warning to take this incident “as far as I need too because this is injustice and justice must be served, one way or another.”
