Dubai Police help Egyptian passenger find his bag containing $7,000 in 30 minutes

The General Directorate of Airport Security at Dubai Police successfully facilitated the return of an Egyptian traveller's bag, which contained all his personal effects, travel documents, and a sum of $7,000.

The passenger reportedly took a bag that was similar to his own by mistake. The bag he took belonged to a female traveller at Dubai International Airport, the police said. It was returned to the Egyptian traveller within a span of 30 minutes subsequent to the submission of a report by the Dubai Police.

Brigadier General Hamouda Balsuwaida Al Ameri, Director of the General Directorate of Airport Security, stated that passenger Mounir Sayed Ibrahim, an Egyptian, hastened with trepidation to the airport police office in the arrivals terminal, informing authorities that he had inadvertently misplaced his travel bag after taking another passenger's bag, due to the similarity in the shape and colour of the bag. He explained that it contained $7000 in addition to his luggage and travel documents and that he had to catch another flight to China in just one hour.

Brigadier Al Ameri confirmed that the duty officer immediately formed a task force to track the traveller's progress from the moment he entered the airport, check the surveillance cameras, and communicate with Emirates Airlines, through which the traveller had departed from Cairo Airport.

Investigations showed that the bag had been switched with that of an Egyptian passenger who was still in the corridors of Dubai Airport waiting for her relatives.

It is evident that the traveller was unaware of the alteration to the baggage, and was taken aback by the arrival of the police officers who introduced themselves and explained the error that had occurred. The officers then proceeded to return the bag to the traveller, Mounir, who was able to catch his flight to China.

Brigadier Al Ameri stressed the keenness of the Dubai Police to follow the highest possible standards of security and safety in Dubai and at Dubai airports. He further noted that its teams were fully prepared to deal with a variety of reports, enhance the experience of travellers, ensure the smooth flow of their journey, and ensure that they feel happy and comfortable during their travel and stay in Dubai.

The two travellers expressed their profound gratitude and sincere appreciation for the commendable efforts of the Dubai Police officers and personnel. They lauded the exceptional speed of the officers' response, which far exceeded their expectations, and their remarkable ability to swiftly return the travellers' belongings within an unprecedentedly brief timeframe. This facilitated the travellers' timely continuation of their journey, thereby reflecting the emirate's prestigious global reputation.