Two men arrested for allegedly stealing bank cards from passengers' bags on flight to Singapore

SINGAPORE: Two men were arrested on Monday (Oct 12) for allegedly stealing bank cards from two passengers' bags stored in overhead compartments on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore.

The two Chinese nationals, aged 54 and 59, were arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 4 at about 9.45am during an operation targeting theft onboard aircraft, the police said on Tuesday.

They were found with three bank cards that did not belong to them, the police added.

Investigations found that each man had allegedly taken bank cards from a different passenger's bag during the flight.

Both passengers had stored their bags in an overhead compartment and did not realise their cards were missing when they left the plane, police said.

The two men will be charged on Wednesday with theft on board an aircraft. If convicted, they could be jailed for up to three years, fined or both.

Police advised passengers to keep cash and valuables with them instead of storing them in overhead compartments.

They should also look out for people opening overhead compartments and rummaging through baggage during flights, and alert cabin crew if they spot suspicious behaviour.