Mangaluru, September 1, 2025: Four airport staff working in baggage loading and unloading have been taken into custody by Bajpe police in connection with the theft of gold ornaments from a passenger’s trolley bag at Mangaluru International Airport.

According to reports, the victim, Rajeshwari Padmashali, wife of CRPF jawan Harikesh, had traveled on an Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Mangaluru on Saturday morning to attend a relative’s wedding. She landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 9:30 am.

After collecting her baggage, she noticed the lock of her trolley bag had been tampered with. Upon checking, she found that a gold necklace weighing 56 grams, worth approximately ₹4.5 lakh, was missing.

Rajeshwari immediately lodged a complaint with Bajpe police, who registered a case and launched an investigation. Police sources said four individuals working in luggage handling at the airport were detained for questioning, and two of them have been formally arrested.

Preliminary investigations suggest that similar thefts of gold ornaments, mobile phones, and other valuables from passenger baggage had taken place earlier, leading to growing complaints from travelers. Police are continuing their probe into the incident.