Man held over cash theft on Bangkok-Hong Kong flight
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police arrested a 57-year-old man after an HK Express flight from Bangkok arrived in the city shortly before midnight on Wednesday, over an alleged in-flight theft of foreign currency worth HK$5,885. The case emerged after another passenger was believed to have filmed the incident on a smartphone and alerted cabin crew, who then identified the bag’s owner and notified airport staff
Key Points
- Police said the suspect was arrested after the Bangkok-to-Hong Kong HK Express flight landed shortly before midnight on Wednesday
- The force estimated the allegedly stolen foreign currency was worth about HK$6,000, while a source put the amount at 25,000 baht, or HK$5,885
- According to a source, the 57-year-old man allegedly walked from the back of the plane to the front cabin area and opened an overhead compartment
- He was accused of rummaging through a black bag, taking cash from it and putting the money into his pocket during the flight
- Another passenger was believed to have witnessed the alleged theft, recorded it on a smartphone and reported it to flight attendants
Why It Matters
The case is now being handled by the Airport Police District’s criminal investigation team, indicating the matter moved beyond an onboard complaint to a formal criminal inquiry. For Hong Kong travellers, the incident underscores the risk of leaving cash in cabin baggage stored in overhead compartments during flights