Two airport customs officers, who robbed a passenger of 3,500 Saudi riyals (BD350) before his flight, have each been sentenced to five years behind bars.
The High Criminal Court earlier heard that they stole cash from the traumatised traveller after trapping him in a bathroom stall and conducting an ‘aggressive’ search.
The Bahrainis were found guilty of abusing their authority as public servants to commit theft while on duty and keeping the victim captive against his will.
The defendants, aged 25 and 34, were also fined BD350 each and were ordered to return the BD350 to the Indian expatriate.
The younger suspect was further found guilty of unlawfully searching the man, who was about to fly to Abu Dhabi, against his consent.
The Public Prosecution accused the officers of not following customs affairs protocols because they searched the man outside dedicated screening locations and without informing their superior.
The court was told the men later bragged to their colleagues that they had snatched 2,000 riyals (BD200) and would split their ill-gotten gains in half.
At an earlier hearing, the 25-year-old’s lawyers attempted to shift the blame to the passenger. “The ‘victim’ is a suspect himself, and not a victim,” claimed the female attorney. “They didn’t keep him captive. He produced the money of his own free will. The cash was stashed around different parts of his clothes.”
She argued that the defendants have no reason to steal from passengers, especially such a small amount, because they had well-paid jobs with monthly salaries of around BD1,500.
As for the 34-year-old’s lawyer, he stated that his client had the right to conduct the search. The court heard that he took the man into the bathroom to offer him ‘privacy’.
“There is no evidence that my client took a single riyal from him. Security cameras did not capture them in the act,” he added.
The GDN earlier reported the victim’s testimony, who stated that he was stopped by two men in what appeared to be military attire, who asked him how much money he had in his possession, and he told them he was carrying 40,100 riyals (BD4,010).
“They searched me aggressively and they locked me in a stall while they counted the money, with one putting his foot on the door to prevent me from leaving,” the victim recounted.
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 returned to Bahrain two days later to report them, informing the authorities of what had happened.
A cleaner testified to witnessing the defendants entering the bathroom with the victim and screaming at him before carrying out a search.
“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 witness stated.
An investigator who received the traveller’s 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 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, who admitted to the accusations but said they only took 2,000 riyals.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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