Baggage Thefts at Mumbai Airport Leave Passengers and Sahar Police Searching for Clues
Several passengers travelling through Mumbai airport have reported losing gold jewellery, mobile phones, cash and entire bags, prompting investigations by the Sahar police as authorities work to establish where the items disappeared across transit points.
In a recent incident, a 36-year-old woman travelling from Mumbai to Chennai alleged that two gold earrings, a gold ring and a silver anklet went missing from her checked baggage. Sahar police reviewed closed-circuit television footage to trace the handlers who managed her luggage during transit.
In another instance, a 19-year-old Irish national and first-year MBBS student reported that her bag, containing clothes, cosmetics and personal belongings, went missing at the airport. Her complaint, originally lodged in Jalna, was transferred to Mumbai, where police sought surveillance footage to identify the person who took the bag.
Other passengers have reported significant financial losses. In February 2026, a businessman travelling on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai reported that Rs 1.5 lakh in cash was missing from his baggage. Earlier, in June 2025, a passenger arriving from Delhi stated that gold ornaments worth around Rs 5.5 lakh were stolen from his laptop bag, while the computer itself was left untouched. In February 2025, a retired mechanical engineer reported losing his iPhone at the airport, which was subsequently used to carry out unauthorised bank transactions.
Complainants have included tourists, students, business travellers, working professionals and senior citizens. Police officials noted that cases are difficult to solve because travellers often discover missing items only after reaching their final destinations. By that stage, checked luggage has already moved through multiple operational points, including check-in counters, security screening, sorting areas, loading ramps, tarmac transport and arrival conveyor belts.
Urich Kamath, co-convener of the Mumbai North Central District Forum, noted that some airlines lack proper mechanisms to address baggage issues or verify whether luggage is delivered intact on conveyor belts. Kamath added that airlines often fail to provide clarity, passenger awareness on rights remains limited, and investigations face hurdles due to a lack of support from airlines.
