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Two Customs officers at the airport have been accused of stealing cash from a passenger after allegedly trapping him in a bathroom stall and conducting an ‘aggressive’ search.
The two Bahraini men appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday, charged with abusing their authority as public servants to commit theft while on duty.
They were also charged with depriving the alleged victim of his freedom, with no legal basis, by briefly keeping him captive against his will.
The Public Prosecution further accused the policemen of not following Customs protocols by searching the man outside dedicated screening locations and without informing their superior.
According to court documents, the men stole 3,500 Saudi riyals (BD350) from the Indian victim, but they admitted to their colleagues to stealing only 2,000 riyals (BD200) and splitting it in half.
“I was on shift at Bahrain International Airport (BIA), cleaning the bathroom, when I saw the defendants and the victim enter,” a cleaner, who was on duty at the time of the alleged incident, testified.
“They were screaming at him, then they took him inside a stall. When they came out, I saw him trying to count his own money, but they weren’t letting him, urging him to leave quickly so he wouldn’t miss his flight.”
The Abu Dhabi-bound victim said he was stopped by two men in military attire, who asked him to accompany them to the bathroom. Although the bathroom was closed, they allegedly took him inside and asked the cleaner to leave.
“They asked me how much money I had in my possession, and I said I had 40,100 riyals (BD4,010),” the victim told the court.
“They searched me aggressively, and they locked me in a stall while they counted my money, with one putting his foot on the door to prevent me from leaving,” the victim alleged.
They returned the money to him, escorting him to the plane, but when he counted it on board, he realised that 3,500 riyals (BD350) were missing. He informed the authorities upon returning to Bahrain.
“I came back to Bahrain two days later to report them,” he said.
An investigator who received the complaint reviewed CCTV footage and discovered a recording showing the defendants escorting the victim to a bathroom.
When questioned, the 34-year-old defendant claimed he had returned the full amount, while his 25-year-old accomplice admitted they had taken 2,000 riyals (BD200) and split it equally.
He also claimed that they had mugged passengers before.
The officers’ shift supervisor explained the standard procedure for searches – upon arrival, passengers first clear passport control, after which Customs officers scan their luggage. If anything suspicious is detected, the supervisor is notified, and the passengers undergo a secondary inspection in the airport’s Red Lane (‘Something to Declare’ exit).
Meanwhile, departing passengers must declare any gold or large sums of money. If Customs Affairs officers discover undeclared valuables, they notify their superior, and the passenger is escorted to the airport’s security office.
The supervisor said he was contacted by the BIA Police Directorate, which summoned his two subordinates for questioning.
“The defendants admitted to doing what they were accused of,” the senior Customs Affairs officer testified. “However, they claimed that the victim was lying about the amount taken from him, and told me they only took 2,000 riyals.”
Judges adjourned the trial to December 28 for defence arguments.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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