Falkland’s veteran left ‘in tears’ after discovering his identity documents have been sold on eBay

Military papers ‘stolen’ from a Argentine prisoner of war during the Falklands conflict are being sold on eBay.

Edgardo Esteban – who is now director of the Museo Malvinas, a museum dedicated to the history of the Falkland Islands – was horrified to find his identity document up for auction. 

Last night, he said he was ‘moved and upset’, adding: ‘I cried with my partner and son… it opened up old wounds.’

The document was sold in July by London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb as part of a collection commemorating those who served in the 1982 war. It also included a medal owned by a British Marine.

In October, the collection was offered on eBay, with the seller stating: ‘The medal includes a collection of items that the Marine took from an Argentine prisoner of war named Edgardo Esteban. This includes his identity card confirming his birth as 1962.’

The collection is believed to have been subsequently sold for £1,750.

Alerted by a friend, Mr Esteban, 58, tasked lawyers with recovering the document which was taken while he was in a POW camp. Dix Noonan Webb said it has offered help to Mr Esteban’s lawyers. 

‘We are very much hoping that the new custodian of these items who bought them on eBay will be happy to return Mr Esteban’s old ID card to him so that he can be reunited with it once again after all this time,’ said a spokesman.