Where finders are not keepers

CISF plans to launch new section on its website to announce details of goods found at airports. Hopes it will help passengers

Where finders are not keepers

CISF plans to launch new section on its website to announce details of goods found at airports. Hopes it will help passengersu00a0

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is searching for Michal Haider Ali. Not for any crime but because the security force, guarding most Indian airports, wants to return Ali his laptop and money he had misplaced at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in January this year.

In a new passenger-friendly initiative, the CISF plans to add a section to its website to put up details about goods lost and recovered at airports.

"This is to facilitate passengers who lose their baggage at the airport. Our record in recovering lost material is very good and it proves the honest approach of CISF personnel. Passengers can approach us to claim their goods back. In return for their honesty, we give our men commendation letters or cash rewards," said Rohit Katiyar, the CISF spokesperson.u00a0

Interestingly, the worth of these goods can run into crores! In the last six months (from January to August), the CISF has recovered goods worth about Rs 2 crore from IGI Airport alone. This year, up to August, unattended property worth Rs 1.91 crore was handed over by the force to passengers and that worth Rs 6.16 crore, to airport operators in the country.u00a0

What gets lost

Every day a large number of items are misplaced at check points at different airports all over India. These items lie unattended and many of them are handed over to airport operators for want of rightful owners.

These generally include expensive items like laptops, mobile phones, cash and jewellery. Most of these items never reach the owner because of the lack of information. The CISF has decided to provide relevant information about these goods to the public through a new section on its website www.cisf.gov.in.

Rs 2,33,97,305 the worth of goods found at IGI Airport between January and August

Are these yours?

Sl No	Date & Time	Name of the airport	Detected from	Belongs to	Contents
1	16.01.09	IGI Delhi	Departure Gate 3	Michal Haider Ali, passenger	Cash Rs 1,50,000 and a laptop
2	28.01.09	IGI Delhi	u00a0	Ms Noorin Khan, IC-635 to Lucknow	One purse containing Rs 13,855, 35 Riyal, 2,560 Pound
3	21.01.09	Mumbai	u00a0	Not known	One jacket containing 1100 Oman Rials
4	08.08.09	Mumbai	u00a0	u00a0	One leather bag containing Indian currency of various denominations amounting to Rs 1 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh