Mumbai police requested CCTV at airport blind spots due to unsolved theft cases.
Sahar police filed 21 FIRs and airport police five from Jan 2025-Sept 2026. None of the 26 cases has been solved and no stolen property recovered. Police said the reported losses included Rs 38.5 lakh in cash, and gold and diamond ornaments worth Rs 67 lakh. A senior police officer said from Dec 2025-Feb 2026, letters were sent to Airports Authority of India, Adani Group, which operates MIAL, and other airport agencies, seeking mandatory CCTV coverage at blind spots and early action.
Because the passengers worked abroad and could not return or pursue the cases, police said they got an average of 20 complaints every month but they were not turned into FIRs.
Police said investigations were hampered as they could not directly question airline employees, while loaders denied involvement. It said baggage theft is the exclusive responsibility of airlines, and that all areas of the airport are under 24×7 surveillance. MUMBAI: Amid unsolved airport theft cases, Sahar police have asked the city airport operator, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), to install CCTV cameras at ‘blind spots’-areas with no surveillance between conveyor belts and aircraft loading points-where passengers’ checked-in baggage may be tampered with and valuables stolen before making it into flights. MIAL, however, denied having received a letter from police as well as the presence of blind spots. Former IPS officer and lawyer Y P Singh called the failure to solve the cases despite electronic evidence a serious lapse by airport security and police. He alleged a possible nexus between baggage-screening personnel and loaders.