The incident occurred when the Indian national arrived at the airport to board a flight to Abu Dhabi. According to the investigation, the two officers stopped the passenger during routine procedures and forcibly escorted him to a restroom inside the airport terminal.
After asking a cleaning staff member to leave the area, the officers allegedly confined the passenger inside a cubicle and questioned him about the amount of money he was carrying. The passenger informed them that he had 40,100 Saudi Riyals. The officers reportedly took the cash under the pretext of inspection and allowed him to board the flight afterward.
It was only after boarding the aircraft that the passenger realized 3,500 Saudi Riyals were missing from his cash. Two days later, he returned to Bahrain and filed a formal complaint with the authorities.
A review of CCTV footage confirmed that the passenger had been forcibly taken to the restroom by the officers. During interrogation, the accused customs officials reportedly confessed to stealing the money and dividing it between themselves. They also admitted to having carried out similar acts against other passengers in the past.
The testimony of the airport cleaning worker has been accepted by the court as key evidence against the accused. The case is currently being heard by the Bahrain High Criminal Court.
The officers face charges including abuse of official position, theft, unlawful detention, and conducting illegal inspections in violation of customs laws. The court has adjourned the case to December 28 to hear the defense arguments.