Last voice message to father and husband; Malayali nurse reportedly in Saudi police custody

JEDDAH: It is reported that Malayali nurse Philomina, who had gone missing from Jeddah airport, is in Saudi police custody. The 32-year-old hails from Ayyankolli in Sultan Bathery, Wayanad. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah said she was detained at the airport after medicines banned in Saudi Arabia were discovered in her luggage.

Philomina has been working as a nurse at King Fahad Hospital in Riyadh for the past three years. She arrived in Jeddah from Bengaluru on the 10th of this month after completing her annual leave, with plans to take a connecting flight to Riyadh. After landing, she sent a voice message to her father and husband around 8:30 PM, stating that airport officials had detained her, taken away her luggage, and demanded her phone. Philomina's family was unable to contact her after that; however, a search conducted by concerned relatives and social workers revealed that she was in custody. Further details regarding the incident are not yet available.