TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) lost his smartphone at a security checkpoint in San Francisco International Airport on Thursday (Oct. 6).

The case of suspected theft occurred at the end of Ko’s visit to the US as he was preparing to board a flight to Los Angeles, before transferring to a flight back to Taiwan. Ko did not immediately report the incident to local authorities, as he was in a hurry to board his flight, reported UDN.

The report indicates that Ko placed his smartphone in a tray that passed through a scanning device. An unidentified individual was noticed cutting in front of Ko in the security line, shortly before he noticed that his phone had disappeared.

Ko’s companions attempted to call the phone, but the suspect turned it off, making them unable to locate the device in the airport.

News of the suspected theft was first made public on Saturday (Oct. 7) by Vicky Chen (陳智菡), a spokesperson for Ko's campaign. The incident has created a great amount of anxiety among Ko’s campaign staff and the TPP, as the device contains sensitive information related to electoral campaigns for the entire party.

At the time, Ko and his campaign staff decided to stick to their travel itinerary and leave San Fransisco and the US without the device. The campaign is attempting to retrieve the lost device, but Ko has already begun using a new smartphone, per UDN.