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Paris airport worker 'pocketed 20,000 euros dropped by diplomat'

Charles de Gaulle airport worker held after CCTV images show him picking up notes lost by Morocco's ambassador to US as he left VIP lounge.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

A worker at a Paris airport has been arrested after pocketing 20,000 euros (£15,000) dropped by the Moroccan ambassador to the United States, police said Thursday, reports The Telegraph.

Mohamed Rachad Bouhlal was leaving Air France's VIP lounge at Charles De Gaulle airport and heading for a flight to New York on Wednesday when two mobile phones fell from his bag and he realised the money was missing.

Retracing his steps, he was unable to find the money and left the airport police to continue the search while he boarded the plane.

Video surveillance showed a temporary employee of the airport picking up the money. He was arrested at his home on Wednesday night.

A police source said around half the money had been recovered.

The man was released from custody on Thursday but it was not clear what charges he might face.

Read more of this AFP report published by The Telegraph.