Organised crime groups behind in-flight theft cases, says Singapore Police Force
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A spike in cabin theft cases in Asia has been blamed on members of organised crime groups, who catch short-transit flights – including trips to Singapore – to steal small items from passengers.
Hong Kong has been one of the worst hit, with 169 cases of in-flight theft involving HK$4.32 million ($700,000) in valuables recorded in the first 10 months of 2024 – a 75 per cent increase from the same period the previous year.
In an interview with The Straits Times, Assistant Commissioner M Malathi, who is commander of the Airport Police Division (APD), said that in-flight theft cases are difficult to detect and investigate.
She said syndicate members, who work in pairs to steal from unsuspecting passengers, often catch a flight out of Singapore soon after landing at Changi Airport.
'They will only take some cash and maybe one or two cards. They won't take your whole wallet, because if they do, it is easier to notice,' said AC Malathi, who added that the authorities have a short lead time before the suspects leave on an outbound flight.
'A timely report is important for our officers to quickly track and trace the suspects and intercept them before they catch their next flight,' she said, adding that passengers should always keep their valuables on them and remain vigilant.
The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents about 300 airlines, had flagged concerns on June 3 after members indicated a spike in in-flight theft cases over the last 12 to 18 months.
Many of the routes were in Asia.
According to reports, Malaysia saw a significant increase in onboard theft cases, with the authorities receiving 146 reports in the first 10 months of 2024, compared with 88 in the previous year and 33 in 2022.
The authorities in Vietnam reported that criminals often purchase last-minute tickets, avoid checked baggage, and switch between domestic and international flights and different carriers to avoid detection.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) declined to share statistics and information regarding theft cases on board, but said the cabin crew are trained to be vigilant and alert the authorities of any suspicious behaviour on flights.
'Should there be a suspected theft case, SIA and Scoot will assist the affected customer, and will cooperate fully with the authorities in their investigations,' a spokesman for the SIA Group told The Straits Times.
At its general meeting in India, Iata said that many of the theft cases appear to be organised from China.
The police in Singapore declined to reveal where the syndicates operate from, but checks by ST showed that four out of five people who were charged in 2025 over cabin theft were Chinese nationals.
AC Malathi said in-flight theft picked up around the time air travel started to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic.
'We see more of these syndicates working as air travel picks up. Singapore is not the only location. This is happening worldwide,' she said.
Between January and May, three people were charged in Singapore for theft on board an aircraft. Only one person was charged in the same period in 2024.
More recently, two Chinese nationals were arrested and charged in court on June 4 after being accused of stealing from passengers while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.
Liu Xitang, 35, and Wang Wei, 40, are accused of taking $169 in cash and two debit cards from another passenger.
In May, Chinese national Zhang Kun, 51, pleaded guilty to stealing a credit card and more than $200 in cash from a passenger on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in March.
The Airport Division said it tries to identify potential syndicate members by looking out for a common trend of behaviour, including frequent travel and transit flights, often with just a two- or three-hour transit period.
'We use data analytics in general to identify these people that could be of interest coming into Singapore, and to aid our investigation process,' said AC Malathi, who added that criminals operate across all classes of travel.
Another area of concern she flagged during the interview is shop theft in transit areas in Changi Airport, which saw 37 cases between January and May.
There were a total of 109 cases in 2024, and 129 cases the year before.
'These crimes are very opportunistic. Some travellers walk into the shops and take what they want and walk off.
'Some of them get emboldened if they get away the first time,' said AC Malathi.
To help address it, the APD has used robots since 2023 to patrol the airport, as a way to beef up police presence.
The robots are equipped with sensors and cameras that can capture footage and allow the public to communicate with officers.
AC Malathi said a new patrol robot called Gibson, which will be equipped to transport an officer, will be launched later in 2025. More details on its latest fleet will be revealed at a later date. - The Straits Times/ANN
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