Many pieces of luggage lost in international flights found in pet store trash bin in Houston

Authorities were trying to figure out how dozens of pieces of luggage belonging to international air travelers ended up in a trash bin behind a Houston pet store.

Photo: Many pieces of luggage lost in international flights found in pet store trash bin in Houston

FBI special agent Rolando Munoz said 68 pieces of luggage from various international flights were discovered. He said the luggage was turned over to Continental Airlines to sort out.

Sgt. Dana Wolfe, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office, which first responded to the luggage report, said the bags belonged to travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. She said tags on the bags showed some of the travelers were going to or from London and Dubai.

The Houston Police Department is handling the case, Munoz and Wolfe said. A Houston police spokesman had no additional details Tuesday night, the AP reports.

Mary Clark, a spokeswoman for Continental, said she did not know if the contents of the bags were stolen.

"We're going to be investigating and the authorities are going to be investigating," she said, adding that the airline was working with other carriers to match the bags with lost luggage claims. She did not have the names of the other airlines but broadcast reports identified them as Continental Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways and U.S. Airways.

The owners of a Pet City store found the luggage.