Michael Tjendara, from Australia, has accused flight staff from Garuda Indonesia of stealing his phone. It comes after he tracked the lost device and spotted that it had been dumped in a river
A group of cabin crew staff have been suspended after a passenger made a shocking discovery following the flight.
Michael Tjendara was heading from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Melbourne on Garuda Indonesia on June 6, when his phone was stolen. The passenger claimed that he had put the mobile in the backseat pocket before he swapped seats on flight GA716 on June 6. He later returned to his old seat and realised the phone had vanished.
After the flight, he managed to track the tech via Find My iPhone and got on the trail of what had happened to his device. Mr Tjendera shared screenshots documenting the development on Instagram. The screenshots traced his phone to a destination close to the Southbank Promenade in Melbourne, Australia.
READ MORE: ‘My AirPods were stolen in UK and I can’t believe where they just showed up’
He claimed that the phone had been dumped near the Mercure Hotel, where the entire cabin crew were thought to be staying. His phone’s signal was last picked up between 3.50pm and 4.40pm before it seemed to move towards a bridge. Lastly, the device was tracked and appeared to have been dropped into the Yarra River. In response to his bizarre discovery, the passenger pleaded with local businesses to share their CCTV footage so he could find the culprit. His social media posts gained traction across Indonesia, reports Mail Online.
On Instagram, he said: “This isn’t just about a phone − it’s about the safety of all passengers in the future. Please help tag and share this story so the right people see it.” On June 9, Garuda Indonesia’s Director of Commercial and Cargo, Ade R. Susardi, revealed that the crew are at the spotlight of the investigation. He confirmed that the crew who were on duty at the time have since been suspended following the tracking allegation.
He told Indonesia Business Post: “We are in continuous communication with the concerned passenger and remain committed to supporting him throughout the follow-up process. We can confirm that upon receiving the report, all cabin crew had followed standard operating and safety procedures, including promptly coordinating with airport authorities to initiate a search.”
The Mirror has contacted Garuda Indonesia for comment.