A business class traveller has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after being caught red-handed trying to steal another passenger's luggage during a Singapore Airlines flight.
The Audacious Mid-Air Crime
Liu Ming, a 26-year-old Chinese national, boarded the Singapore Airlines service from Dubai to Singapore on August 7 with a specific criminal intent, a court heard. His plan was to steal valuable items from other passengers travelling in the business class cabin. Seated five rows in front of a 52-year-old Azerbaijani businessman and one row ahead of the man's wife, Liu waited for his moment.
In the early hours of August 8, after the dinner service had concluded and the cabin lights were dimmed, Liu made his move. He approached the sleeping businessman's seat and removed his luggage from the overhead compartment, carrying it back to his own seat.
Confrontation and Arrest
The victim's wife, who had woken from a short nap, witnessed the act and immediately confronted Liu. Unconvinced by his response, she alerted the cabin crew. Realising he had been caught, Liu returned the bag to its original compartment, claiming he had mistaken it for his own.
The cabin crew reported the incident to authorities at Singapore's Changi Airport, where Liu was arrested upon arrival. During subsequent investigations, police found him uncooperative; he continued to deny the theft, insisting it was an accident. However, this claim was undermined by the fact his own bag was entirely different in both appearance and material from the one he took.
High-Value Contents and Sentencing
The court was told the targeted bag contained items with a total value of approximately S$100,000, equivalent to around £57,625. The inventory of luxury goods included:
- A significant amount of cash.
- A Huawei laptop worth about S$2,100 (£1,553).
- 56 premium cigars valued at over S$5,400 (£3,994).
- A Chopard watch worth more than S$35,000 (£25,887).
- An Audemars Piguet watch valued at over S$51,000 (£37,715).
Fortunately, no items were stolen because the victim's wife intervened so quickly. Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie, seeking a 20-month jail term, argued that such thefts on board the national carrier could damage both the airline's and Singapore's tourism reputation. Liu ultimately pleaded guilty to one charge of theft, leading to his 20-month sentence.
