International Tourist Falls Victim to Theft in Hotel Room at Swaraj Dweep

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 21 October 2024

An international tourist and his family reported a theft incident that occurred during their stay at a local hotel on Swaraj Dweep Island. The family, who had recently arrived from Israel, discovered that a significant amount of money had been stolen from their room.

According to the complaint filed with the local police station, the tourist, identified as Matan Morag, stated that on the evening of 17 October, they left their hotel room for approximately 10 to 15 minutes to explore the hotel’s pool area. Upon returning, Morag noticed that both his wallet and another wallet containing the family’s remaining funds were empty, with a total loss amounting to ₹57,000.

Upon realizing the theft, Morag and his family promptly approached the hotel reception for assistance. Hotel staff informed them that security cameras were positioned near their room door. However, upon reviewing the footage, no one was seen entering the room during the time they were away.

After further investigation, the family discovered that the hotel room windows had been left open, leading them to suspect that the thief had entered through one of the windows. The hotel owner was notified, and the police were called to the scene to conduct an investigation.

Morag also reported that he had exchanged foreign currency prior to the incident, converting $400 at a rate of ₹82.5 while in Vashisht, near Manali, and later exchanging another $400 in Delhi at a rate of ₹85. Additionally, he mentioned withdrawing ₹10,000 from an ATM, though he was unable to provide receipts for these transactions.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the police have apprehended the thief or recovered the stolen money, as no official statement has been released regarding the investigation.