British YouTuber recovers AirPods in Pakistan after tracking them for a year
The 24-year-old YouTuber revealed that his AirPods Pro disappeared while he was waiting for a visa in Dubai. 'They vanished after housekeeping came to clean my hotel room,' he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). However, the saga didn't end there.
Routledge had enabled Apple's 'Find My' feature on the device, which allowed him to track its location long after it went missing.
To his surprise, the AirPods appeared to be active in Jhelum, a city in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The signal pinged from near a local eatery named "2nd Wife Restaurant", a detail that quickly gained attention online.
Determined to retrieve the gadget, Routledge contacted local police in Jhelum, who launched an investigation after his social media posts went viral. The police narrowed down their search to residents who had recently returned from Dubai.
They eventually located a local man in possession of the AirPods. According to officials, the man claimed he had purchased the item in Dubai from an Indian national, unaware it was stolen. Authorities have reportedly taken the seller into custody on charges of dealing in stolen goods.
Routledge flew to Pakistan to collect the recovered AirPods and thanked the Jhelum Police for their swift action. In a video update, he shared his experience of being greeted like a celebrity. 'I was welcomed by the police chief and over 20 journalists. This has somehow become a national news story — strangers on the street recognise me and ask about my AirPods,' he wrote.
The UK YouTuber was also treated to lunch at the same restaurant that played an unexpected role in his AirPods' journey. The story has captured widespread interest in Pakistan and abroad, blending tech, travel, and a touch of humour in a truly one-of-a-kind recovery mission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Bangladesh seeks extradition of ex-PM Sheikh Hasina from India: Report
Bangladesh's interim government has formally begun efforts to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, nearly a year after her ousting following a student-led uprising, news agency ANI Affairs Advisor to the interim administration, Md Towhid Hossain, confirmed on Thursday that a formal request had been sent to Indian authorities. "We have sent a letter. We will follow up if necessary," Hossain said, responding to questions about delays in the push for extradition follows a fresh legal setback for Hasina. On Wednesday, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced her to six months in prison in a contempt of court case. A three-member panel led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder passed the ruling after Hasina failed to respond to court notices or submit an to ANI, the contempt case stems from comments made by Hasina and Awami League leader Shakil Alam Bulbul about an ongoing trial linked to the July 2024 uprising. Prosecutors said an alleged viral audio clip of Hasina, in which she is heard saying, 'There are 227 cases against me, so I have a licence to kill 227 people', was found authentic through forensic analysis by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The clip prompted legal action earlier this tribunal also appointed senior lawyer AY Moshiuzzaman as amicus curiae for the proceedings. Despite public notices, Hasina reportedly failed to respond, prompting the court to proceed in ICT has also accused Hasina of orchestrating violence during the anti-government movement, including crimes against humanity and targeted killings. Formal charges state that these acts were ordered directly by a statement, the Awami League denounced the tribunal's decision, calling it a 'mock trial' orchestrated by 'anti-national and anti-independence forces' to serve political has been living in self-imposed exile in India since August 5, 2024, after being deposed amid mass protests. Following her departure, a transitional government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.- EndsWith inputs from ANI
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Gibbons smuggled from Bangkok seized
Chennai: Gibbons seem to be wildlife traffickers' latest favourite as customs sleuths thwarted their second bid in two weeks to smuggle them via Chennai airport from Thailand. On Tuesday, customs officers intercepted an Indian flyer and found the animals inside two pet bags concealed in checked-in luggage beneath chocolates and other food items. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau officers, who identified the monkeys as an agile gibbon (hylobates agilis) and an eastern grey gibbon (hylobates funereus), provided suitable care. The monkeys were deported on the same flight back to Thailand, and the flyer was remanded in judicial custody. Customs sources said that the flyer was a carrier engaged by a smuggler, and further investigation is ongoing to ascertain the latter's identity. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Customs officials, however, believe that there might be specific demand for these two monkeys, as they seized the same gibbon breeds on June 18 from a flyer who arrived from Thailand. Both gibbon varieties, in high demand in the international pet trade, are endangered. The agile gibbon is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Sources in WCCB said that as a policy, they must not reveal the value of such species in the illegal pet trade, but added that gibbons are smuggled in high numbers to Chennai and Bengaluru to cater to the demand. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Previously, customs officers seized four gibbons in March that were smuggled from Kuala Lumpur, but two were found dead. In 2024, customs busted two attempts to smuggle five gibbons. Meanwhile, customs officers also seized 700g of gold from three different flyers. On June 30, customs officers secured a flyer at the domestic terminal at Chennai airport. He travelled from Dubai to Dhaka, then to Kolkata, and reached Chennai by an Indigo flight. About 409g of gold he had hidden in his rectum was seized. On Tuesday, a flyer from Singapore was secured for smuggling 150g of gold, and on Wednesday, another flyer from Dubai was caught with another 150g of gold.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
NCB busts global drug cartel using encrypted apps, crypto and B2B platforms
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): In one of the largest crackdowns on the illegal pharmaceutical trade, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled an international drug trafficking syndicate operating across four continents, using encrypted digital platforms, cryptocurrency, and anonymous shipping networks, an official statement said. The breakthrough began with the interception of a vehicle near Bengali Market in Delhi on May 25, 2025, ultimately uncovering a vast transnational operation with links to India, the US, Australia, and Europe. The investigation was launched after the NCB HQ Operations Unit intercepted a car near Mandi House, Delhi, based on a tip-off. The vehicle's two occupants, B. Pharma graduates from a reputed Noida-based private university, were found in possession of 3.7 kg of Tramadol tablets--a controlled medication often misused as a narcotic. Their confession exposed a deeper network that involved an online vendor profile on a major Indian B2B platform, used to ship pharmaceutical pills to clients in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Subsequent leads led NCB to a stockist in Roorkee and an associate in Delhi's Mayur Vihar. Further investigation uncovered a key contact in Udupi, Karnataka, who managed bulk orders for exports. Analysis of seized data from Udupi revealed 50 international consignments 29 within the US, 18 within Australia, and one each to Estonia, Spain, and Switzerland. This intelligence was shared with international counterparts and the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol). Acting on this information, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested a key operative named Joel Hall, a re-shipper based in Alabama. Authorities seized over 17,000 tablets of controlled medicines from his possession. Multiple crypto wallets and active parcels were recovered, confirming the network's reliance on digital currency and encrypted communications. DEA also intercepted five parcels carrying around 700 grams of Zolpidem, a sedative commonly abused for recreational use. Meanwhile, a clandestine pill-manufacturing facility linked to the network was busted in Australia by local law enforcement. The factory was found producing tablets for export as part of the syndicate's supply chain. Investigations in other countries are ongoing. NCB's probe uncovered a multilayered structure with two distinct modules, orders and supply, managed by handlers using encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram and payment systems involving cryptocurrency, PayPal, and Western Union. The syndicate operated a call centre in Udupi, employing approximately 10 staff members, some of whom were reportedly unaware of the criminal operation. Orders placed via the B2B platform were routed through this call centre. Advance payments were made in cryptocurrency, then circulated through supply chain operators who retained a commission before the payments were disbursed to re-shippers in various countries. According to the NCB, the mastermind who orchestrated the network's logistics and finances from the UAE has been identified, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him with the assistance of Emirati authorities. Two more Indian nationals were arrested in Jaipur and Delhi in connection with the logistics and supply-side operations. So far, a total of eight individuals have been arrested. In a strategic move to expand operations, repeat customers were converted into stockists or re-shippers, allowing the syndicate to grow its footprint organically across borders. Several such individuals have been identified by partner agencies abroad. NCB has also launched financial and cyber investigations to trace cryptocurrency wallets and hawala channels involved in laundering proceeds. Collaborations are underway with private online platforms to shut down illegal pharmacy listings advertising controlled drugs. This case, authorities say, underlines the growing intersection of digital commerce, encrypted technology, and international logistics in facilitating illicit pharmaceutical trade. It also reinforces the importance of international intelligence-sharing and collaborative enforcement actions. (ANI)
