Passenger helps police catch man accused of stealing €250 from backpack on flight to S’pore
A passenger helped police catch a man accused of rummaging through another passenger’s backpack and stealing €250 (S$369.50) on a flight to Singapore.
Silas Wong, the passenger in question, was presented with the Public Spiritedness Award on Aug 7 for his assistance in the arrest of the suspected thief — a 60-year-old Chinese national.
The police were alerted to the suspected theft onboard an aircraft bound for Singapore at about 11.20pm on Aug 6.
Preliminary investigations found that the man had allegedly removed a passenger’s backpack from an overhead compartment, placed it beside him, and rummaged through its contents. He then returned the backpack to the compartment without the owner’s knowledge.
Wong, who was on the same flight, noticed the man’s suspicious behaviour and kept him under observation.
After the aircraft landed at Changi Airport, Mr Wong located the owner of the backpack and told him what he had witnessed.
Upon checking through his belongings, the passenger discovered that €250 was missing from his backpack.
Wong subsequently contacted the police to report the suspected theft.
Acting on the information provided by Wong, together with CCTV footage, officers from the Airport Police Division swiftly established the man’s identity and arrested him.
Police also recovered €250 from the man’s possession.
The man was expected to be charged in court on Aug 8 with theft. If found guilty of the offence, he faces a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
Passenger praised for staying vigilant
Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi, Commander of Airport Police Division, presented Mr Wong with the Public Spiritedness Award on Aug 7.
She commended him for his keen observation and for assisting the police.
“His actions are exemplary and serve as an encouragement for others to remain vigilant and help ensure a safer air travel for everyone,” said ACP Malathi.
She also noted that crimes committed during air travel can be difficult to uncover due to the transient nature of flights.
Wong’s observations and subsequent report were instrumental in helping police detect the alleged theft, said police.
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