A janitor at Miami International Airport (MIA) has been arrested and charged after stealing $60,000 worth of Rolex watches from a passenger last month. The valuables were reportedly stolen shortly after the traveler had gone through customs.

Surveillance footage showed the custodian finding the passenger’s bag and taking it to an area that was unseen by the public. The suspect is also facing a fine of several thousand dollars.

Details of the incident

According to NBC 6 South Florida, 57-year-old Alberto Rabanal was arrested on August 26th on two counts of second-degree grand theft. A Miami-Dade Police Department affidavit disclosed that the victim arrived on a flight from Lisbon, Portugal, on August 22nd. TAP Air Portugal is the only airline that operates nonstop flights between Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) and MIA.

TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900neo landing at Miami International Airport.

Photo: Alejandro Gonzalez M | Shutterstock

The passenger, who had a duty-free bag with two Rolex watches inside, was located on the second level of Terminal J and had just cleared customs. Shortly after midnight, they were reportedly waiting outside for a ride-share and set the bag on the ground next “to a metal pillar and garbage can,” according to USA TODAY. At that point, the passenger walked away from the bag, leaving it unattended for a short while.

Then surveillance video reportedly shows a cleaning services employee approaching the bag and looking inside. It had a sweater concealing a black case holding the two watches, valued around $60,000. Rabanal then reportedly removed the sweater and transported the bag to an area where he could not “be seen by witnesses.” He stole the watches and then put the sweater back inside the bag. According to the affidavit, Rabanal put the duty-free bag inside a normal trash bag and threw it into a garbage can.

Up to 15 years in prison

Detectives went to Rabanal’s home, where they searched and found the watches on top of his dresser. He confessed to the robbery and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without further incident. In addition to the two counts of grand theft, Rabanal also faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $10,000, according to USA TODAY.

In court on August 23rd, he was reportedly granted a $7,500 bond and appointed a public defender. The exact company that employs Rabanal is unknown. It is also unclear if he is still employed.

It’s happened before

This is not the first time MIA has been the subject of theft incidents. Last year, surveillance footage caught Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stealing from passengers as their bags were screened at a security checkpoint E. Three agents were seen pocketing money from passenger’s bags, while prosecutors claimed that they worked together, attempting to distract travelers as they were being screened.

A TSA PreCheck Line

Photo: David Tran Photo | Shutterstock

According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the agents managed to steal $600 from a single passenger’s wallet. The three suspects, 20-year-old Josue Gonzalez, 22-year-old Elizabeth Fusterm, and 33-year-old Labarrius Williams, were arrested and booked into the same facility that Rabanal was taken to. They were initially charged with organized scheme to defraud.

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