| CISF, airport staff return purse with USD 10,000, valuables to passenger | | | MANGALURU, July 26: Alert personnel of the CISF and Mangaluru International Airport on Sunday traced and returned a purse containing USD 10,000, 500 UAE dirhams, a gold ring, an iPhone and other valuables to a passenger who had inadvertently left it behind after arriving from Dubai. Airport officials said landside security staff member Vittal Hosamani spotted the unattended black purse on a baggage trolley at the lower ground floor parking area at around 6.15 am and immediately alerted the Central Industrial Security Force. Following the standard operating procedure, the CISF's Quick Response Team secured the area while the airport's Security Operations Control Centre was informed. A Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, assisted by a sniffer dog, examined the purse and ruled out the presence of explosives. The purse was then opened in the presence of officials and found to contain a passport, an iPhone, a gold ring, 500 UAE dirhams, USD 10,000, bank cards and a boarding pass. A review of CCTV footage revealed that the passenger had already left the airport premises. Using the boarding pass, officials obtained his contact details from the airline and informed him about the recovered purse. The passenger, who had arrived from Dubai on Air India Express flight IX 814, later returned to the airport. After verifying his identity, officials handed over the purse and all its contents to him as per protocol. The passenger thanked the CISF and airport authorities for their prompt action through a video message, officials said. |
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