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Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
Man who stole on Scoot flight sentenced to 10 months' jail
Wikipedia screengrab Singapore News Uncategorized SINGAPORE: A 51-year-old has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after he was found guilty of stealing cash and a credit card from a fellow passenger during a Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore earlier this year. The incident occurred on March 16 aboard Scoot flight TR465. Zhang Kun, the accused, was seated three rows behind the victim when he allegedly removed a bag from the overhead storage compartment and took it to his own seat. Inside the bag, he stole S$200, 100 Malaysian ringgit, and a credit card from the victim's wallet, before returning the bag to its original location. At the time, the victim had temporarily left his seat to join friends at the rear of the aircraft to celebrate his birthday. The theft did not go unnoticed. A passenger seated next to Zhang reportedly witnessed the act and later alerted the victim after the flight landed in Singapore. Following the report, Zhang was arrested by police later that evening. Further investigations revealed that Zhang was not acting alone. Authorities believe he had an accomplice on the flight, though details about the second individual have not been disclosed. Zhang initially denied the charges and challenged the prosecution to produce evidence. However, the court found sufficient grounds for conviction based on witness testimony and the sequence of events detailed in the investigation. He was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for the offence.
International Business Times
28-05-2025
- International Business Times
Chinese Man, 51, Jailed in Singapore for Stealing Valuables From Overhead Compartment on Scoot Flight
A 51-year-old man was jailed for 10 months on Wednesday, May 28, for stealing from a fellow passenger on a Scoot flight. Zhang Kun, a Chinese national, earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of theft. The incident happened on March 16 on flight TR465 from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. Zhang sat three rows behind the victim, who had a backpack in the overhead compartment with a wallet and a sling bag. The victim and his companion got up from their seats during the night trip to join their friends at the rear of the aircraft in celebrating a birthday. Zhang hurried to the overhead compartment, grabbed the rucksack, and carried it to his own seat after realizing the victim was no longer there. After locating the wallet, he took a credit card, RM100 (S$30), and S$200 in cash. After that, he put the wallet back and put the backpack back in the overhead bin. The passenger sitting next to Zhang saw what Zhang was doing. Following the plane's landing, Zhang's companion went up to the victim and requested that he examine his backpack. The passenger directed the victim toward Zhang once he realized that his credit card and cash were gone. While Zhang's companion filed a police report, the victim confronted Zhang and banned his credit card. Zhang was observed going to the bathroom many times before the police showed up. Although Zhang was taken into custody later that evening, he did not disclose his actions about the victim's belongings, and the police were unable to retrieve them. Zhang had collaborators aboard the Scoot flight, according to investigations. They were scheduled to spend two hours in Singapore before continuing on to Hong Kong, just like him. In the past, Zhang denied taking the items and requested "proof" from the prosecution that he had done so. Theft carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a fine, or both. In March, the police presented the Public Spiritedness Award to the passenger who informed the victim of the theft. Following the arrival of the flight, K Visvanathan provided "crucial information", leading to Zhang's arrest at Changi Airport Terminal 1. Commander of Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi told CNA, "I would like to commend Visvanathan for his public-spiritedness." "Such vigilance goes a long way in the swift detection and substantiation of such crimes, which are often challenging to uncover due to their transient nature," ACP added.
South China Morning Post
28-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Singapore jails Chinese man for stealing from fellow passenger on Scoot flight
A 51-year-old man who stole from a fellow passenger on a Scoot flight was jailed for 10 months in Singapore on Wednesday. Zhang Kun, a Chinese national, earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of theft. The offence took place on flight TR465 from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on March 16. Zhang was seated three rows behind the victim, whose backpack, containing a sling bag and a wallet, was in the overhead compartment. During the night flight, the victim and his companion left their seats to celebrate a birthday with their friends at the back of the plane. Seeing that the victim was gone, Zhang quickly went to the overhead compartment, took the backpack and brought it to his own seat. The offender took $200 in cash from a fellow passenger's wallet, a Singapore court heard. Photo: AFP He found the wallet and took S$200 (US$155) in cash, 100 yuan (US$13.90) and a credit card. He then placed the wallet back and returned the backpack to the overhead compartment.
The Star
28-05-2025
- The Star
Traveller who stole credit card, over US$200 in cash during Scoot flight gets ten months' jail
SINGAPORE: A traveller was on board a Scoot flight when he retrieved another passenger's bag from an overhead compartment while the man was away from his seat, took out a wallet and stole its contents – US$200 and RM100 in cash as well as a credit card. After that, Zhang Kun placed the wallet back into the bag and returned it to the overhead compartment. A nearby passenger, who saw what Zhang had done, alerted the victim after the plane landed, and the thief was arrested. On May 28, Zhang, a 51-year-old Chinese national, who was in remand, was sentenced to ten months' jail after he pleaded guilty to a theft charge. He has made full restitution. Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua told the court that Zhang and the 35-year-old Singaporean victim had boarded the Singapore-bound flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at around 11pm on March 16. During the journey, the victim and his fiancee left their seats to meet his friend and the friend's wife for a birthday celebration at the back of the plane. Seeing that the couple had left their seats, Zhang walked to an overhead compartment near the victim's seat and committed the offence. After the plane landed at Changi Airport about an hour later, the eyewitness approached the victim to tell him about the theft. The victim checked his belongings and found his cash and credit card missing. The witness then pointed at Zhang, and the victim confronted the thief before blocking his credit card. A check later revealed that no one had used it for unauthorised transactions. The victim's fiancee contacted the police at around 12.15am on March 17. Officers arrived at the scene soon after but could not find the loot in Zhang's possession. Court documents did not disclose what he did with them, but he was observed making several trips to a toilet before the officers' arrival. Investigations revealed that Zhang had accomplices who were also on board the flight and were transiting in Singapore before making their way to Hong Kong. Initially, Zhang did not admit to taking the credit card and cash. He also did not reveal to the police what he had done with the stolen items. For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Straits Times
Traveller who stole credit card, over $200 in cash during Scoot flight gets 10 months' jail
Chinese national Zhang Kun had retrieved the victim's bag from an overhead compartment while the latter was away from his seat. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS Traveller who stole credit card, over $200 in cash during Scoot flight gets 10 months' jail SINGAPORE – A traveller was on board a Scoot flight when he retrieved another passenger's bag from an overhead compartment while the man was away from his seat, took out a wallet and stole its contents – $200 and RM100 (S$30) in cash as well as a credit card. After that, Zhang Kun placed the wallet back into the bag and returned it to the overhead compartment. A nearby passenger, who saw what Zhang had done, alerted the victim after the plane landed, and the thief was arrested. On May 28, Zhang, a 51-year-old Chinese national, who was in remand, was sentenced to 10 months' jail after he pleaded guilty to a theft charge. He has made full restitution. Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua told the court that Zhang and the 35-year-old Singaporean victim had boarded the Singapore-bound flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at around 11pm on March 16. During the journey, the victim and his fiancee left their seats to meet his friend and the friend's wife for a birthday celebration at the back of the plane. Seeing that the couple had left their seats, Zhang walked to an overhead compartment near the victim's seat and committed the offence. After the plane landed at Changi Airport about an hour later, the eyewitness approached the victim to tell him about the theft. The victim checked his belongings and found his cash and credit card missing. The witness then pointed at Zhang, and the victim confronted the thief before blocking his credit card. A check later revealed that no one had used it for unauthorised transactions. The victim's fiancee contacted the police at around 12.15am on March 17. Officers arrived at the scene soon after but could not find the loot in Zhang's possession. Court documents did not disclose what he did with them, but he was observed making several trips to a toilet before the officers' arrival. Investigations revealed that Zhang had accomplices who were also on board the flight and were transiting in Singapore before making their way to Hong Kong. Initially, Zhang did not admit to taking the credit card and cash. He also did not reveal to the police what he had done with the stolen items. For theft, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
