Deputy Chief of Sakoo Police Station Lt Col Padungpong Dooksukkeaw and his officers arrested 25-year-old Annop Keawduang and charged him with theft after an Indian tourist informed Airport officials that she had received an alert from her Samsung Galaxy Note 5 smartphone that disappeared during her flight from Phuket to Dubai by Etihad Airways (EY305) on April 24.
The smartphone had a Lookout Mobile Security application installed which notified the owner about unauthorised access and took a photo of the suspect. Having received the alert, the owner of the phone – Ms Malvica Mukherjee, 39, from India – contacted Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AoT) via Facebook. The information was then forwarded to police, who easily identified and nabbed the suspect.
“Mr Annop is a staff member of Bangkok Ground Service company. When we found and arrested him at 1.50pm he had the smartphone with him. It was definitely the phone belonging to Ms Malvica Mukherjee who had complained to AoT,” Lt Col Padungpong said.
“Mr Annop was charged with theft. He confessed that he did it,” Deputy Chief of Sakoo Police added.
Police seized from Mr Annop several more electronic devices and other valuables that believed to be stolen as the baggage handler admitted it was not his first crime.
“I am sorry that it happened to a tourist. I have already instructed our security personnel to be vigilant. Stealing must not happen again,” Phuket International Airport General Manager Phet Chan-charoen added.