Alert cabin crew foils theft attempt onboard Jakarta-bound plane; Chinese national to be charged

A 50-year-old Chinese national will be charged in court on Wednesday (March 11) for alleged theft onboard an aircraft. 

The police said in a news release on Tuesday evening that the alleged crime happened onboard a Jakarta-bound flight from Singapore at about 6.20pm on October 2, 2025. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Chinese national had left his assigned seat, walked several rows and allegedly removed a victim's bag, which was stored in the overhead compartment of the aircraft. 

He then carried the bag back to his seat, rummaged through the contents of the bag, and took cash amounting to $750 and three bank cards from the victim's wallet before returning the bag to its original location. 

Noticing the man's unusual movement and suspicious behaviour, Muhammad Fariz bin Johari, a cabin crew onboard the flight, alerted the victim to check his belongings. 

Upon the victim discovering his cash and cards missing, the cabin crew immediately informed the aircraft's captain, who in turn reported the matter to the Indonesian authorities. 

The missing cash and cards were subsequently found in the aircraft before it landed and returned to the victim. 

Meanwhile, Indonesian authorities denied the Chinese national entry into Indonesia and he was directed to return to Singapore. 

The 50-year-old was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division after the aircraft landed back in Singapore. 

He was found with foreign currencies and several mobile phones, which were seized as case exhibits. 

The offence of theft, read with the Tokyo Convention Act, carries a penalty of up to three years jail, a fine, or both. 

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editor@asiaone.com