Edgar Hsu/Reuters
A plane scoots on the tarmac at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
CNN
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A man has been charged with theft after allegedly stealing more than $23,000 in cash from three passengers on a cheap flight from Vietnam to Singapore.
The man was named in the court indictment as Zhang Xiuqiang, a 52-year-old Chinese national who was on board the flight operated by Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier Scoot. An airline spokesperson told CNN that the airline is “aware of an incident” on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore on December 16th.
“Our flight attendants were alerted by a passenger to a suspected theft onboard the aircraft and dispatched to the airport police station,” a spokesperson said. “The passengers involved were escorted from the aircraft by airport authorities for further investigation, while the remaining passengers disembarked normally.”
According to the indictment read out in court and reported by Singapore’s public broadcasting channel NewsAsia, Zhang allegedly stole items from three separate passengers. The suspect reportedly took VND3 million ($123) from a passenger’s backpack and VND510 million ($20,950) and 50 Singapore dollar banknotes (38 It is said that he stole some dollars.
He is also suspected of stealing $1,000 and S$930 ($700) from an envelope in a third passenger’s gray bag.
In-flight theft is a federal crime in many countries and is more common than most travelers realize. In October, Hong Kong police discovered a criminal gang stealing credit cards from passengers and warned of a sharp increase in thefts on incoming flights. In 2019, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways announced a crackdown on petty theft of in-flight items by flight attendants.
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, a man was arrested in September on suspicion of stealing cash from another passenger’s carry-on baggage on a flight from Tokyo to Taipei.
Mr. Zhang was detained pending police investigation. If convicted of theft charges, each charge could result in up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
Scoot said it could not provide further details about the incident, but warned crew and passengers to remain vigilant on board.
“Our flight crew members are trained to alert and alert authorities of any suspicious activity on our flights,” it said in a statement. “We also advise our customers to protect their valuables at all times.”