Sunday, September 21, 2014

Co-passengers, not airport staff, flicking flyers’ stuff

New Delhi: Lost belongings at airports are increasingly being stolen by co-passengers rather than the usual suspects—loaders and airport staff. An integrated security system put in place at airports across the country to verify unclaimed objects (that could be bombs) has thrown up unexpected results. It has not only helped restore lost belongings to rightful owners, but shown that a large number of phones, laptops and bags are stolen by well-to-do co-passengers.
It has also shown that passengers are not aware that their lost belongings can be found easily. Every year over Rs 20 crore worth of unclaimed or stolen items are found at airports. Of these, items worth Rs 5 crore are restored to passengers there and then while the rest are deposited with the airport operator. However, of these, passengers return to claim only Rs 5 crore worth of items leaving behind belongings worth Rs 10 crore at various airports every year.
21/09/14 Deeptiman Tiwary/Times of India
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