Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Sep 1: In a case of theft at Mangaluru International Airport, Bajpe police have detained four baggage handling staff accused of stealing gold jewellery from a passenger’s trolley bag.

According to police, all four individuals were working in luggage loading and unloading at the airport.

Representational image

The incident came to light when Rajeshwari Padmashali, wife of CRPF jawan Harikesh, arrived in Mangaluru from Bengaluru on an Air India Express flight on August 30 morning at 9:30 am. She was travelling to attend a relative’s wedding. Upon collecting her luggage outside the terminal, she noticed the lock on her trolley bag had been broken. On checking, she discovered that a gold necklace weighing 56 grams, worth about Rs 4.5 lakh, was missing.

She immediately filed a complaint with Bajpe police. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case and took four airport loading staff into custody for questioning. Sources confirmed that two of them have been formally arrested.

There have been several complaints in the past about baggage being illegally opened and valuables such as gold ornaments and mobile phones stolen at the airport. Passengers have repeatedly expressed anger before airport authorities, while some have lodged formal police complaints.

At present, police have arrested two individuals allegedly involved in stealing valuables from passengers’ bags at Mangaluru International Airport.