Two border officers from Varna airport were arrested Sunday, for stealing the cell phone of the United States Ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle.
The ambassador was flying from Varna to Hungary Friday morning, when he forgot his cell phone at the conveyer where hand luggage is x-rayed. He did not realize his phone was missing until after his plane took off.
A search was commissioned immediately but when asked, all border officers claimed that they hadn't found a phone.
The high-tech gadget was equipped with a global positioning system, however and it helped locating it in the pocket of one of the two officers who were monitoring the x-ray belt. They had thrown away the SIM card and kept the expensive device.
The two claimed that they wouldn't have taken the phone if they knew it was property of the ambassador, Trud daily newspaper reported.
The culprits are now under arrest in Varna, facing malpractice and theft charges. They will be fired, officials announced, and their superiors will also be penalized for the lack of control and bad organization.