Dubai: An airport porter who opened passengers’ luggage and stole candy while transporting bags to the aircraft was handed a three-month suspended imprisonment.
The 22-year-old man had repeatedly tampered with passengers’ luggage in April, took away candies and sweets, court records show.
In January 2017, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the porter of stealing and sentenced him in absentia to three months in jail.
The defendant turned himself in and requested a retrial.
On Thursday, presiding judge Urfan Omar convicted the defendant and handed him a three-month suspended jail term on grounds of leniency.
The accused, who pleaded not guilty, will be deported.
The defendant opened an unidentified number of bags and stole different kinds of sweets and candy, court records show.
Spotted
An airport policeman said the 22-year-old Pakistani porter was spotted opening bags and looking for something to steal from the luggage of an aircraft bound to Newcastle.
“The porter was apprehended and brought in for questioning. When asked if he had opened passengers’ bags, he confessed that he opened a number of bags and took candy or sweets and ate them instantly.
"He claimed that he only took candy which he ate but never stole any valuables or personal belongings,” the policeman said.
A police corporal testified that the defendant was spotted on surveillance camera footage opening passengers’ luggage and stealing from them.
The defendant had admitted to prosecutors that he unzipped passengers’ bags several times looking for candy.
Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
