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Time of India
17-05-2025
- Time of India
Chinese national held in Delhi for in-flight theft on Air India Flight
NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old Chinese national has been arrested in Delhi for his alleged role in a string of in-flight thefts, as police probe a suspected international syndicate targeting long-haul transit flights. Three other Chinese nationals have been detained for questioning. The accused, identified as Benlai Pan , a resident of Hong Kong, was taken into custody on 14 May after Air India staff flagged suspicious behaviour on Flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to New Delhi. Several passengers reported missing valuables, prompting airline security to alert Delhi Police. Senior officers from the Indira Gandhi International Airport police station arrived at Terminal 3 and met with passengers and airline staff. One passenger, Prabhat Verma, reported that a cabin crew member had warned him of unusual movement near his overhead baggage. He later found his credit card missing and spotted a man — later identified as Pan — seated in an unassigned seat nearby. The card was later recovered. Another passenger, Prashi , reported her mother's debit card had vanished from her bag during the flight. A third passenger provided video footage of Pan allegedly opening cabin baggage and inspecting fellow passengers' belongings. Pan was travelling with three others — Meng Guangyang (51), Chang Mang (42), and Liu Jie (45). Their backgrounds are now under verification in coordination with respective embassies, and authorities are probing whether they have been involved in similar crimes elsewhere. During interrogation, Pan reportedly confessed that he and his associates were part of a well-organised international gang that targeted passengers on long-duration international flights. The group's modus operandi included booking seats on high-traffic transit flights, distributing themselves across the cabin to avoid detection, and stealing valuables from sleeping passengers. Stolen credit cards were used briefly and discarded to prevent tracing. Police recovered a credit card, wallets, electronics, and bags believed to have been stolen. Authorities are now reviewing travel records over the past year to link the group to other unsolved in-flight thefts. 'Pan has been arrested and the other three are under detailed inquiry. Alerts have been issued to immigration and airport authorities nationwide, and global enforcement agencies are being contacted to determine the full scope of the syndicate,' said Usha Rangnani , Additional Commissioner of Police at IGI Airport.
News18
17-05-2025
- News18
Chinese National Arrested For Mid-Air Theft On Hong Kong-To-Delhi Flight
Last Updated: According to the police, the accused was part of a suspected international gang that targeted sleeping passengers during international transit flights. A 30-year-old Chinese national has been arrested for mid-air theft on a Hong Kong to Delhi Air India flight. The man identified as Benlai Pan was caught after the security and vigilance team of the airline raised concerns about suspicious activities. The incident came to light after the Security and Vigilance team of Air India, Terminal-3, IGI Airport, alerted Delhi Police regarding suspicious activity on Air India Flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to New Delhi. The alert was issued after four Chinese nationals were detained based on the complaints by the passengers, according to an official statement by IGI Airport Police. A passenger, Prabhat Verma, reported that the cabin crew had warned him of suspicious movements around his overhead baggage. After checking his bag, he found that his Bank of America Credit Card was missing. He further observed a suspicious individual seated at Seat No. 14C, later identified as Benlai Pan, who was not assigned that seat but was originally ticketed for Seat No. 23C. The missing card was found under Seat No. 14C, according to the police. Prashi, who was seated at 14A, also reported that her mother's HDFC Debit Card had gone missing from her handbag. Another passenger, Nafeez Fatima, stepped forward with a video recording that allegedly showed Benlai Pan opening cabin baggage and inspecting other passengers' personal items. The airline staff initiated further checks, and the authorities were alerted upon landing. The accused was identified as Benlai Pan. He was accompanied by three other Chinese nationals, including Meng Guangyang, 51, Chang Mang, 42, and Liu Jie, 45. The police immediately detained all four suspects. While Benlai has been arrested, his other three associates are under detailed inquiry to ascertain their exact role and involvement. The accused was part of a suspected international gang that targeted sleeping passengers during international transit flights, stealing high-value items, cash, and debit/credit cards, according to the official statement by police. The police are examining their travel data over the past 12 months. An FIR has also been filed against Benlai under sections 378/2025, 303(2) of the BNS at PS IGI Airport. A further investigation into the matter is underway. First Published: May 17, 2025, 14:23 IST
