Crime syndicate targeting Singapore flights: Police

[feb01mel]

Crime syndicate targeting Singapore flights: Police

http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/1...ts_Police.html

SINGAPORE - Singapore police warned on Tuesday that members of a crime syndicate from China were believed to be stealing money from the bags of passengers while they slept on flights to and from the country.

Eighteen reports about in-flight thefts have been filed so far this year, up from only one in 2011, said Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam Tee, head of the airport police division.

'Investigations revealed that some of the thieves are suspected to be syndicate members from China working in groups of three to four individuals per flight,' Assistant Commissioner Tee told AFP.

'They would strike during boarding operations, or in-flight when passengers are asleep or when using the toilets. Their goal is to steal cash which has been kept by passengers inside their travel or laptop bags stowed in the overhead compartments of the aircraft.' Assistant Commissioner Tee said the thefts were confined to some carriers on regional flights.

Last week Chinese national Fu Xinping was jailed for four weeks for stealing US$800 (S$1,020) and HK$3,000 (S$492) from a fellow Chinese national's bag on a Hong Kong-bound Singapore Airlines flight in April, local media reported.

Singapore Airlines declined to reveal the number of thefts on its flights recently but said cabin crew had been advised to remain vigilant.

[FlyingDan]

Last week Chinese national Fu Xinping was jailed for four weeks for stealing US$800 (S$1,020) and HK$3,000 (S$492) from a fellow Chinese national's bag on a Hong Kong-bound Singapore Airlines flight in April, local media reported.

Doesn't seem too lucrative to me

I must admit, however, that this is why I always visit the bathroom right after I enter the lounge with my carry-on.. had something stolen from my luggage before.

[fone]

Doesn't seem too lucrative to me

Agreed, if the airfare costs S$400 each (multiply by 3 to 4 people in the syndicate) and you only stole S$1112, that's only like $88 lost with a chance of getting caught. Also, you have a chance of hitting the jackpot of a larger amount. Wouldn't that be similar to visiting MBS / RWS or Macau, with the chance of hitting jackpot and losing all your money (get caught) but minus the chance of getting prosecuted for a criminal offence?

[lingua101]

Agreed, if the airfare costs S$400 each (multiply by 3 to 4 people in the syndicate) and you only stole S$1112, that's only like $88 lost with a chance of getting caught. Also, you have a chance of hitting the jackpot of a larger amount. Wouldn't that be similar to visiting MBS / RWS or Macau, with the chance of hitting jackpot and losing all your money (get caught) but minus the chance of getting prosecuted for a criminal offence?

May be this is just a side line for bigger things?

[viraj735]

May be this is just a side line for bigger things?

Care to elaborate?

[MegatopLover]

Interesting. Within the last week or so, Mr. Megatop received an internal advisory circulated by the major multi-national that he works for, in which another employee reported having personally witnessed an attempted laptop theft from a bag in an overhead on a flight HKG-SIN (the airline was not identified) while the pax was either sleeping or in the loo (I forget which).

[globetrekker84]

So lemme get this straight...when you buy a ticket on SQ, you're likely to be robbed twice: once from SQ and once from the Chinese syndicate?

[lingua101]

Care to elaborate?

I am just speculating.

As fone said

Agreed, if the airfare costs S$400 each (multiply by 3 to 4 people in the syndicate) and you only stole S$1112, that's only like $88 lost with a chance of getting caught.....

So perhaps, stealing in the aircraft is just a side line. They are not flying just to steal. Stealing or not, they still need to be transported to Singapore for something else (bigger??), but along the way (in the plane) if they can do something side line (i.e. pick some laptop, money etc), that will be a bonus.

So they are not purposely buying ticket for stealing.

You get what I mean?

Well I may be wrong......

[Inflight Sup]

It is prudent to look after your own belongings while traveling.
Theft or otherwise, SQ or BA, ship or train.

Some may think nothing of losing blackberries, since it is all under the company account. There was once a pax who informed the crew that he lost his mobile.
This was during disembarkation.

During the flight, I noticed that he was not very tidy. Having kicked his shoes far apart, newspapers & magazines half sticking out of seat pockets, eye shades on the floor ( 2 pcs ). Along with his brief case opened and a laptop running his movies AND watching the on board selection too. ( must have a very well formed brain )

He told the crew that he believed the phone slipped from his trousers pocket and had gone past the seat cushions and probably below the seat pan. As usual, the entire crew from that J class complex tried to ascertain if indeed the phone was there.

When told that only engineering could do what the crew cannot, he howled away, claiming he had no time to wait as a meeting was scheduled.
I never found out if the phone was ever located.

But that is the point. Look after your belongings.. there might be lots of space around at your seat..but these aircraft seats have an appetite for pens, earrings, phones... and yes, money too.

[Guy Betsy]

...
Last week Chinese national Fu Xinping was jailed for four weeks for stealing US$800 (S$1,020) and HK$3,000 (S$492) from a fellow Chinese national's bag on a Hong Kong-bound Singapore Airlines flight in April, local media reported.

Singapore Airlines declined to reveal the number of thefts on its flights recently but said cabin crew had been advised to remain vigilant.

Chinese nationals again ???

I hope these ones get deported and to never grace Singapore ever again! But then there's a billion more to come.

[cscs1956]

Agreed, if the airfare costs S$400 each (multiply by 3 to 4 people in the syndicate) and you only stole S$1112, that's only like $88 lost with a chance of getting caught. Also, you have a chance of hitting the jackpot of a larger amount. Wouldn't that be similar to visiting MBS / RWS or Macau, with the chance of hitting jackpot and losing all your money (get caught) but minus the chance of getting prosecuted for a criminal offence?

Take it this way, $1112 is only to compliment their trip. Who know what they get on other trips. Otherwise these people will not take this kind of risk.

[cscs1956]

So lemme get this straight...when you buy a ticket on SQ, you're likely to be robbed twice: once from SQ and once from the Chinese syndicate?

Thats a good one.

[cscs1956]

Chinese nationals again ???

I hope these ones get deported and to never grace Singapore ever again! But then there's a billion more to come.

I am not sure what you are trying to say. There is also many SQ FA who are Chinese nationals. Sometime, you can see news Singaporean get caught overseas too.

Use a calculator, you may find the % is much higher for Singaporean as our population is small.

[Kyo]

Agreed, if the airfare costs S$400 each (multiply by 3 to 4 people in the syndicate) and you only stole S$1112, that's only like $88 lost with a chance of getting caught. Also, you have a chance of hitting the jackpot of a larger amount. Wouldn't that be similar to visiting MBS / RWS or Macau, with the chance of hitting jackpot and losing all your money (get caught) but minus the chance of getting prosecuted for a criminal offence?

Even if this were true, you forget they have a return flight, so double the chances of rich pickings (and getting caught)

[Desert Traveller]

I'm just glad these guys were not operating on my flight from SIN to PEK last June when I left my Bose headset and 1st gen iPod nano on the flight. The SQ people in PEK did a great job of reuniting me with my stuff.