SINGAPORE: A 51-year-old Chinese national was arrested for his alleged involvement in an in-flight theft during a flight to Singapore on 17 March.
According to preliminary investigations, a male passenger witnessed the suspect taking a bag belonging to another traveller from the overhead compartment while the latter was away from his seat.
The suspect then brought the bag to his seat and began rummaging through it.
The witness noticed the man allegedly hiding the victim’s belongings in his jacket before returning the bag to its original place.
The witness later alerted the victim, who checked his belongings and discovered that a credit card, S$200, and RM100 (S$29.90) were missing from his wallet.
The police were notified of the incident at around 12.20am after both the victim and the witness disembarked from the aircraft.
They managed to locate the suspect in the transit area, where officers from the Airport Police Division arrested him for suspected theft.
The man is expected to be charged on 18 March with theft, an offence that carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
In a statement issued on 17 March, police advised passengers to safeguard their valuables by keeping them on their person rather than in overhead compartments.
Travellers should also remain vigilant for individuals seen opening overhead compartments or rummaging through baggage during flights.
In cases of suspicious behaviour, passengers should immediately inform cabin crew.
“The police have zero tolerance against acts of theft on board an aircraft and will spare no effort to apprehend such offenders, who will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
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