Airpods Reconnecting

Your additional information is helpful, but it doesn't change most of what I said earlier.

The only way a device can appear on your Find My is if it is attached to your Apple ID. It doesn't matter where it is around the world, that is how Find My works. Usually you would see it with a real location in Find My but for a device like AirPods which doesn't have a GPS chip, it has to rely other nearby devices to help fix location.

I have to admit I am puzzled why you would need to remove the device last week if you have not seen the other person for years and they live miles away.

There is a long shot remote possibility. Did you ever share your Apple ID login credentials with this other person? Or maybe sell or gift to them an Apple device which might not have been properly wiped? Regardless of the answer I suggest you should change the password for your Apple ID as soon as possible, because it is more likely than not the reason the AirPods you deleted got put back again.

Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support

When you have done that, dig into your Apple ID and check the devices associated with your account. If there are any you don't recognise, delete them without mercy. If you get it wrong and you delete your own AirPods it will be easy enough to put them back, but any devices which you don't own - get them (all) off your account. See detailed advice in

If you think your Apple ID has been compromised - Apple Support

"Forget" usually refers to deleting a bluetooth pairing. To remove a device from Find My you need to remove it from your Apple ID. This is a completely independent action, they are connected only because they refer to the same target device

If an item or device is connected to another Apple ID - Apple Support