New Menace in the Skies.  Beware of your hand luggage when travelling which can happen on any airlines. 

Two Chinese nationals held for thefts on SIA flights

By Daryll Nanayakara,  my paper  |  Mon, Apr 23 2012
Men believed to be responsible for thefts on board separate flights.

Two Chinese nationals held for thefts on SIA flights

TWO Chinese nationals were nabbed last Saturday for alleged thefts while on board separate Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights.

The two men, aged 38 and 49, were on regional flights when they allegedly rummaged through bags that had been stowed in overhead compartments located away from their allotted seats.

Their actions were spotted by alert cabin-crew members who detained them.

Police yesterday said that they have been closely monitoring in-flight thefts on some regional flights, especially of cash kept in hand-carry bags stowed in overhead compartments.

In the first incident, which took place on board an SIA flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, the 38-year-old suspect was said to have taken a laptop bag from an overhead compartment located several seats from where he was seated. He took the bag to his seat and went through its contents before putting it back.

A crew member, who had been watching him all the while, informed the owner of the bag and then detained the suspect. No valuables were reported missing.

In the second incident, the owner of a laptop bag on board another SIA aircraft - an outbound flight to Vietnam - almost had $630 in various currencies taken from him.

The 49-year-old suspect in this case allegedly struck during the boarding process and was immediately detained by the flight's cabin crew.

 

The pair are believed to be involved in other similar cases, the police said. Their arrests come barely a month after another pair of Chinese nationals were nabbed for stealing on board SIA flights last month.

When contacted, an SIA spokesman said the airline takes such thefts seriously and that it will "continue to work with the authorities and keep in place stringent measures to enhance the safety and security of carry-on baggage".

 

Several travel websites offer tips for airline passengers to keep their carry-on luggage safe.

Mr Peter Savage, director of security for United States-based Passport Health and author of The Safe Travel Book, advised air travellers to stow their hand-carry luggage in overhead compartments across from their seats, so that they can see if someone opens their luggage during the flight