In a swift operation yesterday (29), Katunayake airport police arrested a 45-year-old domestic worker who allegedly stole an Etihad Airways pilot’s luggage shortly after her arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The pilot, a 40-year-old Colombian national, had disembarked from an Etihad Airways flight (EY-392) from Abu Dhabi when he discovered his bag was missing.
The suspect, identified as a resident of Hunupitiya, Wattala, arrived at Katunayake Airport at 8:38 a.m. on the same Etihad Airways flight. After all passengers and crew had exited the plane, the pilot noticed that his suitcase was missing.
Upon receiving the complaint, Etihad Airways management and airport security quickly reviewed CCTV footage to locate the missing luggage. The video revealed that the suspect, who had exited the plane first, discreetly took the pilot’s bag and concealed it in a trolley with her belongings. She then quickly left the airport in a three-wheeler.
With information provided by the three-wheeler driver, airport police tracked the suspect to her residence in Hunupitiya, Wattala, where they recovered the stolen luggage and made the arrest. Both the suspect and the retrieved luggage were taken to the Negombo Magistrate’s Court for further legal proceedings. Etihad Airways commended the airport police for their swift action in resolving the incident.
