A 57 year old Chinese man was arrested in Hong Kong on September 1 after allegedly stealing another passenger’s belongings on a flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong.
The incident occurred aboard an HK Express service believed to be flight UO703, which was due to arrive in Hong Kong at about 11.40pm. Hong Kong police received a report at 11.34pm and boarded the aircraft after it landed.
Passengers said the man, a mainland Chinese passport holder, had been sitting towards the rear of the aircraft when suspicious activity involving another passenger’s bag was noticed.
The man initially claimed the bag belonged to him before later changing his account. Another passenger noticed what was happening and alerted the cabin crew, who intervened and contacted police ahead of the aircraft’s arrival.
Officers boarded the aircraft after landing and arrested the man on suspicion of theft.
The value of the property involved had not yet been determined, with further details still being investigated.
Similar thefts have been reported periodically on the Bangkok-Hong Kong route, prompting concerns over belongings stored during flights.
Passengers are advised to keep wallets, mobile phones and other valuables with them and to check their belongings during the journey.
In a separate incident, a Hong Kong traveller accused a mainland Chinese passenger of attempting to steal from his suitcase on another flight, this time from Hong Kong to Bangkok. The traveller recorded their confrontation, which was later widely shared on social media.
He said he caught the passenger going through his suitcase and confronted him. The traveller said it was the second suspected in-flight theft he had encountered within two months.
The passenger denied stealing anything and suggested he may have taken the wrong suitcase, while the traveller rejected the explanation and said the bags looked completely different.
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