Two Chinese nationals allegedly steal from passenger aboard KL-S'pore flight
The police have arrested two male Chinese nationals, aged 35 and 40, for their suspected involvement in a case of theft on board an aircraft.
On June 2 at about 8.50pm, the police were alerted to a case of theft onboard an aircraft which was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the 35-year-old man was seen removing some items after rummaging through the contents of a female passenger's bag, which was placed in the overhead compartment.
The man's suspicious behaviour caught the attention of a couple who were seated nearby, who continued to observe him throughout the flight.
After the aircraft had landed in Singapore, the couple saw the female passenger retrieving the bag and realised that the 35-year-old man who was earlier going through the bag was not the owner.
After disembarking from the aircraft, the couple alerted the female passenger of the alleged theft, and they alerted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the police for assistance.
Through information provided by the couple about what they witnessed on the aircraft and with the aid of images from CCTVs, officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him at a lounge in the transit area of Changi Terminal 1 within an hour of the report.
Another 40-year-old man, who was believed to be his accomplice, was also arrested. Cash amounting to $169 was recovered from the 40-year-old man upon his arrest.
The police also recovered two debit cards belonging to the female passenger, which were discarded in a rubbish bin where the two men had traversed before they were arrested by the police.
The men will be charged in court on June 4 for the offence of Theft with Common Intention under Section 379 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871, read with Section 3(1) of the Tokyo Convention Act 1971.
The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
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