An AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur took a disturbing turn when an elderly man was caught red-handed rummaging through other passengers’ luggage and stealing their belongings.
The incident occurred recently and was brought to light by Dorophy Lew, who identified herself as a female AirAsia flight attendant.
She had shared her experience on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
Lew revealed that she had been on high alert after hearing numerous accounts of in-flight pickpocketing from her colleagues over the past few months.
Little did she know that she would come face-to-face with a “cabin rat” on her very own flight.
“After the plane took off, a middle-aged man from China opened the luggage compartment (above the passenger seat) and took a carry-on bag that was not his,” Lew recounted.
Vigilant Passenger Helps Foil Brazen In-Flight Theft
A lady sitting two rows behind the thief witnessed the brazen act and immediately alerted Lew to the situation.
“The lady told me that she was very sure that the carry-on luggage (that was rummaged through) did not belong to the thief but to a youth sitting in the front seat!” said Lew.
Acting swiftly, Lew informed the young passenger, who quickly checked his luggage and discovered that a sum of cash had been stolen.
The thief, realizing that his crime had been exposed, immediately stood up and returned the stolen money to the victim.
A Stark Reminder for All Passengers
“After the incident, I immediately informed my supervisor, who wrote a report and gave it to the captain and then contacted the ground security personnel,” Lew explained.
“After the plane landed, the security personnel were waiting at the cabin door. They spent a few minutes asking me about the incident and then asked the victim and the man involved to go out for questioning. The incident came to an end at this point.”
Despite the distressing nature of the incident, Lew expressed her gratitude to the vigilant female passenger, who promptly informed her of the situation.
“Otherwise, more passengers might have been stolen,” added Lew, whose experience was published in the Chinese daily Sin Chew.
As a reminder to all travellers, Lew urged passengers to keep their valuables close and refrain from placing them in the overhead luggage compartment to prevent similar thefts from occurring in the future.
Others, including former cabin crew members, have shared similar incidents in the past, highlighting the ongoing issue of in-flight theft.
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