SINGAPORE: A man was handed a theft charge on March 18 for allegedly stealing a credit card and cash in different currencies worth more than S$200 (US$150) from another passenger on board a Scoot flight.
Chinese national Zhang Kun, 51, is accused of making off with the items on the Singapore-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur at around midnight on March 17.
On March 18, however, he pleaded not guilty and asked for proof of the alleged offence.
His pre-trial conference will take place on March 27.
Police said in an earlier statement that Zhang had allegedly retrieved the victim’s bag from an overhead compartment while the latter was away from his seat.
Zhang is said to have stolen the items after rummaging through the bag, which he returned to the compartment.
An eyewitness, suspecting that Zhang had committed theft, alerted the victim, who found his cash and credit card missing.
After the aircraft landed at Changi Airport, the victim searched for Zhang based on the witness’ description while calling the police.
The victim managed to locate Zhang in the transit area, and officers arrested him soon after.
There appears to be a recent spate of cases involving thieves who target fellow passengers on board aircraft.
On Feb 25, another Chinese national Zhang Youqi, 30, was sentenced to eight months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to a theft charge.
He was on board a Scoot flight from South Korea to Singapore in early February when he hatched a plan to search a woman’s belongings for valuables after he spotted her with a branded haversack.
He found a chance to do so before the plane landed and took US$885 from her bag.
He was caught when he attempted to return the bag to an overhead compartment.
In one of the worst cases of theft on board a plane, yet another Chinese national, who stole around $120,000 (US$90,045) in cash from a fellow passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight in March 2024, was sentenced to 30 months’ jail in June that year. Peng Hui, then 54, had pleaded guilty to four charges, including one count of theft.
The victim was a Singaporean jeweller who had gone to Bangkok and Hong Kong for two trade fairs.
For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined. - The Straits Times/ANN
