5 arrested for gold theft at Mangaluru International Airport

Mangaluru: The Bajpe police have arrested five people in connection with the theft of gold ornaments and cash from passenger’s luggage at Mangaluru International Airport.

Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H said a woman passenger who arrived from Bengaluru to Mangaluru on August 30, via an Air India Express flight, noticed that 56 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 4.5 lakh were missing from her baggage.

She immediately lodged a complaint at the Bajpe police station. A case was registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

During investigation, police detained four baggage handlers employed with Air India SATS — Nithin from Kandavara, Sadananda from Mooduperara, Rajesh from Mooduperara, and Praveen Fernandes from Bajpe. Upon interrogation, they confessed to stealing the jewellery from the luggage on August 30 and selling it to one Raviraj from Mooduperara. Police seized a 50-gram gold ingot worth around Rs 5 lakh from the accused. Raviraj was also arrested for receiving stolen property under Section 317(2) of BNS.

The Commissioner said further inquiry revealed that the same group had earlier stolen Rs two lakh in cash from the baggage of another passenger, Manohar Shetty, in January 2025. A case is already under investigation at Bajpe police station.

All five arrested had been working with Air India SATS for nearly nine years. Police have produced them before the court and are seeking custody for further investigation.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused often targeted baggage containing valuables such as gold and cash, sometimes opening bags or guessing simple lock passwords to commit thefts. Police have urged passengers to remain vigilant and avoid placing expensive items in checked baggage.