Apple Air Tag Leads Authorities to Find $16,000 Worth of Stolen Luggage

With 237,000 pieces of baggage being mishandled in May of 2022 alone, there is no doubt that lost baggage is a common occurrence. But a common occurrence turned into a criminal investigation shortly after a traveler reported missing luggage which was said to have $1,600 worth of items in it. Thanks to an Apple Air Tag (an apple product used as a tracking device) in her suitcase, she was able to identify where the baggage was. The air tag showed up as "last active" in the area of Kathy Court in Mary Esther, FL.

An Apple AirTag. Photo: Apple

The police began looking in the Kathy Court area as deputies cross-referenced employees from Destin/Fort Walton Airport. One of the individuals that police investigated was a 19-year-old man named Giovanni De Luca, an airline subcontractor. Investigators went to his home on Aug 10 and found the items that had been reported missing, plus those of another man who reported that $15,000 worth of jewelry from his suitcase had gone missing just days earlier.

De Luca admitted to digging through the items of the first victim and taking out an apple air tag. The items have not been recovered. However, De Luca was arrested on August 10 and charged with two accounts of grand theft.

Giovanni De Luca was arrested on August 10. Photo: WKYT

An aviation analyst, Alex Macheras stated he could locate his lost baggage "by showing airport staff exactly where the bags were." This was only possible "because they had AirTags inside."

"Traveling friends: consider getting an AirTag for your luggage. Saved my life today. And possibly the life of a dozen bagels," Simon Doubleday, a historian at Hofstra University tweeted.

Apple Air Tags have become an essential part of a traveler's luggage. They can assist with misplaced baggage which helps airports run smoothly during their heavy workload. If you would like to get an Apple air tag for yourself or your loved one you can purchase one here.