$800 fine for worker at Changi Airport who took cash, ATM card from lost wallet
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SINGAPORE – A woman who worked at a lost and found office at Changi Airport Terminal 1 was fined $800 for taking cash and an ATM debit card from a lost wallet.
On Jan 13, Nur Haziera Hassan, 21, pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal breach of trust.
She was employed as a customer service agent for Dubai National Air Travel Agency (dnata), tasked with assisting arriving passengers and handling lost and found property.
On Aug 2, 2024, a flight attendant handed over a lost wallet to dnata’s customer service counter at Changi Airport.
Shortly after, Haziera, who was on duty at dnata’s lost and found office, saw the wallet sealed inside a polymer bag. She unsealed the bag, opened the wallet and took out €80 (S$112) in cash and a DBS Bank ATM debit card before resealing the wallet in the bag.
She converted the money into Singapore currency at a money changer and received $100, which the prosecutor said she used for daily expenses. It was not mentioned in court what exactly she purchased.
Haziera subsequently tried to use the debit card to buy a drink but threw the card away when the transaction failed.
The victim, a German national employed in Singapore, made a police report after he received an e-mail alerting him that someone had attempted to use his card.
Haziera’s actions came to light when the victim collected his wallet from the lost and found counter and saw that his cash and bank card were missing.
In his submissions, the prosecutor said Haziera dishonestly misappropriated the items and abused the trust placed in her by her employer, but noted that she has since made restitution to the victim.
When the judge asked Haziera if she wanted to say anything in mitigation, she kept quiet.
Those who commit criminal breach of trust can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.
Nadine Chua is a crime and court journalist at The Straits Times.
