This Mumbaikar recruits X sleuths' to get back his Airpod lost in Kerala from Goa
Bengaluru, Jan 6: When Nikhil Jain, a social media marketing professional from Mumbai, lost his Airpod while vacationing in Kerala, he knew that his case was more for the sleuths of the social media than the police.
His faith in social media was not misplaced.
In just a day, with the help of X (formerly Twitter) members, Jain managed to track down the person who took the expensive earphones to his house in Goa and convinced him to give them back. Now, two weeks later, he finally managed to collect his device from a Goan police station.
“The incident happened inside a national park in Kerala, I left my Airpod in a bus there. I waited for the bus to come back and realised that someone took them. There was no signal inside, so I had to leave the area to track the device. And when I finally did, it was already on the move, and was in another national park about 40km from where I was. But the next day I could track it to a hotel nearby,” Jain told PTI.
Jain said he then approached the hotel along with the Kerala police, but they could not do much as the location did not pinpoint to any exact room and the hotel authorities refused to help further citing client privilege.
“So, I watched my device travel through Mangalore to Goa. When it stayed put in Goa, I figured the person is from there,” said Jain, co-founder of Stonks Studio, a social media content agency.
On December 21, 2023 Jain (@niquotein) posted on X along with location coordinates: “I recently lost my new airpods in kerala and this ** person is travelling with it. the person is in south goa since 2 days, so I’m guessing they live there. does anyone here live around dr. alvaro de loyola furtado road in south goa? rt for reach, etc (sic).” **
While most jumped into the conversation to discuss technical details of tracking Airpods, a day later, the X post reached a target close enough – the neighbour’s relative.
Edward Mascarenhas (@Kooledd) posted on December 22, 2023: “My relatives stay exactly there and I sent them the deets. They mentioned their neighbors did go to Kerala recently (sic).” He then followed it up with another post: “So they got in touch with them and they mentioned they’ll drop it off at Margoa police station (sic).” “By December 22 evening, the device was at Margoa police station,” Jain told PTI.
Jain said he then called the police station. “They confirmed that the device was indeed with them,” added Jain.
Now, the only thing remaining for him was to collect it. “Many from X, of course, volunteered. But my friend and former colleague, Sanket (@iamsexified) chipped in, saying he will be going to Goa in a few days, so I decided to wait for him to collect the device,” said Jain.
Finally, last night, Jain posted in X, with a picture of Sanket triumphantly holding the device: “CAN U BELIEVE!!? thank u to angel sanket, goa police, kerala police, twitter, find my feature, twitter and everyone who replied to this tweet! what a beautiful story. what a community-like feeling. world is so big and yet small (sic).” The original post, which saw 1.2 million views, became a target for some new-age guerrilla marketing too. Within a few hours of the post, Ather Energy (@atherenergy) jumped in with an offer: “There’s a fully charged, mission-ready Ather 450X waiting for you at Margoa. Over and out.” A Bengaluru-based bakery went a step further to cash in on the buzz. It quickly opened X account, @bitesofben48552, on the same day, and posted its offer: “We’ve just joined @X to inform you that we’re dispatching a package of quick bites to ensure you’re fueled for your crucial mission. Hopefully, we’re not late. Kindly share your address, and we’ll deliver it from Bengaluru to your doorstep.” Jain said although he or Sanket did not use any of these offers, the thought counted. “It made me feel good about the entire incident. Although initially I was pissed off with the person who walked away with my Airpod, I am grateful that they went to the police station and handed over the device. They could have easily chucked it somewhere and that would have made it a lot more complicated,” said Jain.
As if to prove his point, another X user, Ritesh Ambastha (@riteshambastha) posted: “I’ve lost the Airpod in the house I’m living in; and it’s been 3 months I’m looking for it. I wish you the best (sic).”
Jain’s story is also proof that persistence pays. X user Himanshu Gupta (@himanshu_gg), recalls how he too lost one of his buds in Kerala while he was travelling in July last year, but didn’t think to mobilize X to get it back then. Although, he posted in X with the coordinates when it happened, he just gave up with a “I knew I will loose it someday, but not like this (sic)” and instead started canvassing for some “hidden gems” to visit in Kerala from X users.
Jain said he kept at it because he kept thinking what a story it would be to tell his children if he did find them through X. “It worked out in the end. And I am happy and grateful,” said Jain.
CAN U BELIEVE!!? thank u to angel sanket, goa police, kerala police, twitter, find my feature, twitter and everyone who replied to this tweet! what a beautiful story. what a community-like feeling. world is so big and yet small ❤️ https://t.co/IEb5pVdKuc pic.twitter.com/Xv5HGo4kp6
— Nikhil (@niquotein) January 5, 2024
i recently lost my new airpods in kerala and this bitch ass person is travelling with it. the person is in south goa rn since 2 days, so i’m guessing they live there. does anyone here live around dr. alvaro de loyola furtado road, salcete, south goa? rt for reach, etc. pic.twitter.com/ltJyoF0fNZ
— Nikhil (@niquotein) December 21, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
J-K: Six held with drugs, assets worth Rs 73 lakh attached in Udhampur
Jammu (PTI): Six persons were taken into custody during an intensified anti-narcotics crackdown, with police recovering contraband substances and over Rs 23 lakh in Doda and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday.
In a parallel action, properties worth over Rs 73 lakh linked to drug peddlers were also attached in Udhampur district under relevant legal provisions, the police said.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Doda, Mohd Aslam said three persons, including a woman, were detained during a raid on a house at Dak Mohalla in the main town following recovery of 85 grams of suspected brown sugar and over Rs 23 lakh on Sunday evening.
He identified the woman as Zareena Begum, stating that she had been under police surveillance following inputs indicating her involvement in drug peddling.
Besides Zareena, officials said her daughter and son-in-law were also picked up by police during the raid.
“We have taken three individuals into custody. Their roles are being examined, and based on that, arrests will be made. We are continuing raids at other suspected locations,” Aslam said.
Three drug peddlers --Pardeep Singh of Hiranagar, Rahees Butt of Billawar and Ali Sen of Amritsar (Punjab) -- were arrested along with heroin at different places in Kathua district, a police spokesman said.
He said while 2.79 gm of heroin was seized from Singh, 2.66 gm were recovered Butt. Similarly, 303 gm of heroin was seized from Sen who was intercepted near Berrian-Pattan village while moving in a private car from Bhagthali to Maggar Khad on the Jammu-Pathankot highway.
All the three were booked under the NDPS Act and further investigations are on, the spokesman said.
In Udhampur, the spokesman said properties worth Rs 73 lakh were attached in two separate cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The attached properties included a newly constructed residential house, a car, a motorcycle and a mobile phone with a total value of Rs 65 Lakh, belonging to accused Saif Ali who was booked under the NDPS case in Majalta area early this year, he said.
In another action, movable property worth Rs 8 lakh comprising a car, belonging to accused Danish Butt of Doda has been attached under Section 68(F) NDPS Act in connection with an FIR registered at Rehambal police station, the spokesman said.
