Found someone's lost items? Do not make the mistake of keeping it with you, as an incident at a mall in Dubai highlights.

An Arab woman, who visited a mall recently, later realised her gold bracelet was missing.

The loss was reported to the mall management which promised to notify the woman if the bracelet was found.

A search by the woman in various shops failed to locate the bracelet, which, it was suspected, had fallen somewhere before she reached the parking lot.

The mall management initially denied her request to view security footage.

That evening, the woman and her husband reported the loss to the police, who dispatched a CID team to assist her. The police informed the mall management of the situation, which was validated through their footage. The woman had worn the bracelet upon arrival, but it was not with her when she left.

Days later, the police contacted her, revealing that someone took the item but didn’t return it to lost and found. After reviewing surveillance footage, the police identified him and brought him in. He denied having it during questioning, but when shown the footage, they retrieved it from his home.

The woman was informed by police that even if she forgives him, he will still face legal consequences, as the law requires found items to be turned in within 48 hours, which he failed to do.

The woman expressed gratitude to Dubai Police for their efforts in recovering her bracelet, stating it was a valuable lesson for everyone: If you find something, no matter how small, do not keep it.

Once you have applied for the certificate, the Lost and Found department at Dubai Police will follow up on your case. There is no specific timeline as to how long it takes to get your lost item back because it depends on the case. But there have been instances where Dubai Police has returned missing items in half an hour or sometimes within minutes.

You can also choose to file the lost item report through a Smart Police Station (SPS) or call the Dubai Police’s non-emergency hotline on 901 to get more information on how to file a report.