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A 29-year-old Indian national, Sundar Aravinth, working as an airport auxiliary police officer at Singapore’s Changi Airport, was charged with criminal breach of trust on Friday for misappropriating a pair of AirPods lost by a passenger. Aravinth, who was unrepresented in court, indicated that he planned to plead guilty and admitted to taking the AirPods without considering the consequences.
During the hearing, Aravinth stated that he had no intention of engaging a lawyer, expressing a desire to return to India before his visa expired on March 31. He was informed that a special pass would be arranged for him while awaiting his next court appearance.
The incident took place on February 4 at Changi Airport Terminal 2, when a passenger accidentally left his AirPods on board an aircraft. After the cabin crew found the earbuds, they handed them over to Aravinth, who was on duty at the time. However, Aravinth chose to keep the AirPods for himself instead of handing them over to the lost and found office.
In an attempt to cover his actions, Aravinth submitted a photograph of his own unbranded earbuds to the lost and found office, claiming they were the found item. When the passenger was contacted to verify his lost property, he noticed the earbuds were not his. This discrepancy led to an internal investigation, which confirmed that Aravinth had kept the AirPods. The stolen earbuds were eventually recovered.
Aravinth is facing charges under Singaporean law, which stipulates that a criminal breach of trust can carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, a fine, or both. His case is scheduled for further hearing on April 17.
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