Anant Goenka, executive director of Indian Express, recently shared a terrible experience he and his family faced at the Milan airport in Italy when they were allegedly targetted by a gang who stole his mother's handbag containing money and passport. He also recalled getting minimal help from the police but said that the Indian embassy was "very helpful" in issuing them an emergency temporary passport.
"Had a terrible experience inside Milan Airport a few days ago. A gang of three targeted us, distracted and stole mom's handbag, with money and passport in it," the businessman wrote on X, adding that what shocked him was the police's response to the incident. "Police at the airport said it was the fourth such incident in six hours. "(The) police inspector told me 'There are only 3 of us, so nothing much we can do'," he said.
Moreover, there weren't any CCTV cameras in the area where the incident happened to protect "passenger privacy".
But when Goenka reached out to the Indian embassy for help, they were "beyond amazing" he said. Thanking them, he said, "They were prompt and very helpful in issuing an emergency temporary passport for travel. Indian consulate told me we were the fourth they issued today itself."
Goenka added that immigration officers in India had informed them of several such cases reported from Spain and Italy this year. "Those still holidaying, please be careful!" he said.
Kerala doctor, wife recall losing passports, wallet to pickpockets in Italy
In a similar incident reported in March, a doctor from Kerala and his wife went through a harrowing experience after losing their passports, credit cards, and cash to pickpockets in Milan, Italy. The couple, who had visited the country to present a research paper in Florence, on Monday narrated how their belongings were allegedly stolen from them and shared that both Italian and Indian authorities had come to their rescue.
Jothydev Kesavadev, a physician and diabetes researcher, said the incident happened on March 5. He and his wife Sunitha were entering the Milan Central railway station in Italy to take a train to Florence at 6.20 pm when "a tall, lean African-American man" bumped into him.
"His large trolley bag hit my right knee and I almost fell down. My wife, out of shock forgot the surroundings and bent down to help me out. When I looked back I saw a woman passing by her and then the woman and the man disappeared instantly," Kesavadev wrote on X.
Since they were getting late for the train, the couple rushed to the platform and did not think much of the incident until 10 minutes later when Sunitha opened her handbag and realised that her wallet containing the passports, credit and debit cards and cash was missing. Shocked, the couple sought help from the Italian police.
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