Sri Lankan workers who have returned home from the Europe and the Middle East have expressed concern over the recent incidents of baggage theft at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo.

Police sources said it was the third such incident this year and there had been many incidents according to the suspects’ confession.

The latest victim was a returning housemaid from the Middle East, whose valuables were pilfered upon arrival at the airport.

The looters have allegedly stolen anything from anything from electronic devices to cash and jewellery.

Authorities said that seven suspects have been arrested so far this year and some of them have got bail after appearing in court.

Mohammed Ali has said that during his last trip to Colombo that he found some of his neatly packed items, including a pair of spectacles, sprung out on the belt, presumably since they were not expensive.

“Airport authorities should carefully monitor baggage handling by the porters,” he said.

The handlers would take unlocked bags off the conveyor belt and ransack the content in search for valuables. “Two or three porters stand guard, while one steals,” an airport officer said.

Mangala Randeniya, deputy general manager of the Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment has told international media that theft at the airport is a serious matter and that the bureau would do everything possible to stop this.

“We have an SLBFE counter at the airport; any such incidents should be reported without delay,” he said, adding that SLBFE officials would be more than willing to assist in retrieving stolen goods. (with inputs from Arab News)