The offender, 26-year-old Chinese national Liu Ming, was convicted for theft committed onboard a Singapore Airlines flight from Dubai to Singapore. According to prosecutors, Liu’s actions were not random. He was allegedly financed by a criminal syndicate and deliberately booked a business class seat to target passengers carrying high-value items.
The incident occurred on flight SQ495 on Aug 7, after dinner service when cabin lights were dimmed and most passengers were asleep. Liu walked several rows forward, opened an overhead compartment, and removed a passenger’s luggage before carrying it back to his own seat. What he didn’t expect was that the victim’s wife had just woken up — and saw everything.
She confronted Liu and alerted cabin crew. Panicked, Liu returned the unopened bag to its original place and claimed he had simply made a mistake. A check later confirmed nothing was stolen — but the bag contained items worth over S$100,000, including luxury watches, cash in multiple currencies, a laptop, and premium cigars.
Upon landing at Changi Airport, police arrested Liu. During investigations, he remained uncooperative and continued to deny wrongdoing, insisting he was confused — despite his own bag being clearly different and stored above his seat.
Prosecutors argued for a heavy sentence, stressing that organised theft onboard flights threatens public confidence and Singapore’s reputation as a global aviation hub. Similar cases have surfaced this year, including one involving accomplices on a Scoot flight, highlighting how difficult such crimes are to detect mid-air.
The court agreed. With limited surveillance onboard and passengers unable to constantly guard their belongings, such offences pose serious risks. Liu was sentenced to 20 months’ jail.
A reminder to stay alert — even at 35,000 feet.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
