A theft aboard a Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was thwarted thanks to the keen observation of a fellow passenger. On May 6, Zhang Kun, a 51-year-old Chinese national, admitted to stealing cash and a credit card from another traveler. He is awaiting sentencing.
The incident occurred on the night of March 16, when a 35-year-old Singaporean man placed his haversack in the overhead compartment above his seat. During the flight, he and his fiancée left their seats to join friends at the back of the aircraft for a birthday celebration, leaving their belongings unattended.
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang approached the overhead compartment, retrieved the victim’s haversack, and returned to his seat. He then pilfered $200, RM100 (around S$30), and a DBS credit card from the victim’s wallet before returning the bag to its original place.
However, Zhang was unaware that Mr. K. Visvanathan, a 59-year-old Singaporean seated nearby, was closely monitoring his actions. After the flight landed at Changi Airport, Mr. Visvanathan approached the victim to confirm whether the haversack belonged to him and informed him about Zhang’s suspicious behavior.
Upon checking his belongings, the victim realized that several items were missing. Mr. Visvanathan then directed him towards Zhang, leading to a confrontation. The victim promptly contacted his bank to block the stolen credit card, while his fiancée called the police.
Law enforcement arrived and arrested Zhang, but the stolen items were not recovered, as he had already disposed of them. Although the court documents did not detail how he got rid of the items, it was noted that Zhang had visited the restroom multiple times before the police arrived.
Further investigations revealed that Zhang had accomplices on the same flight, all of whom were also traveling to Hong Kong. Initially, Zhang denied any involvement in the theft and did not disclose the location of the stolen items during police questioning.
In Singapore, individuals convicted of theft can face a maximum prison sentence of three years and/or a fine.