Plane Thieves Operate In Syndicates & Travellers Should Stay Alert Even Before They Board The Plane, Says Aviation YouTuber

You’ve heard that in-flight theft cases are on the rise. In fact, just this week, a man was arrested for stealing US$885 (S$1,196) cash on a flight to Singapore. 

But what you probably didn’t know was that these thieves are operating in groups, and some target certain victims, even before they board the plane. This is according to aviation YouTuber Sam Chui, who recently shed light on how airplane thieves operate. 

The issue caught Sam's attention after he'd posted a video of a man on a flight who was seemingly going through the belongings of other passengers. It did not happen to Sam but to another passenger on a flight from Hong Kong To Seoul — “it looks like an Asiana Airlines A330 flight in Business Class,” said Sam.

The Instagram post sparked off a big reaction from netizens, with many saying that the same thing has happened to them. One even revealed that he’d “been robbed on this exact route” and that “the thieves took $3k cash out of [his] backpack”. 

Sam proceeded to dig deeper into the issue and posted a follow-up on his YouTube channel, detailing the thieves’ process. In the video, he mentioned that plane thieves don’t pull off these heists alone, and may rely on a network of accomplices ranging from on-ground airport staff to airline insiders. 
 
On which flight routes do mid-air thefts most take place?

From Sam’s research, these incidents happen “mainly flights in and out of Hong Kong and China… But now they’re also moving on to flights in and out of Bangkok,” he said in the video. Dubai is also a hot spot as “they know there are a lot of rich people carrying lots of jewellery, expensive watches and cash,” he added. Mid-air thefts have also been reported on regional flights such as Vietnam to Singapore,  Penang to KL, and Malaysia to HK.

How do plane thieves work? 

Sam Chui goes on to say that these crimes are “much bigger and more sophisticated than you and [I had] ever thought. It’s not just one person, it’s carried out by a whole team, [and involves] coordination, from luxury goods sales persons to airport ground staff, airport cleaners and even more people.”

He continued: “For example, I buy an expensive Rolex watch [from the shop]. The luxury goods [sales] person could make friends with me and find out that I’m going from Hong Kong to Amsterdam one day, and they would pass on my info to a gangster working at an airline [who] finds out exactly the flight I’m on and my travel dates. When they’ve identified that I [will be] carrying enough luxury goods that’s worth to follow me, these gangs will book a flexible ticket to go on my flight. If I cancel my flight, they will also cancel the flight and do a no-show.

“On the flight, they will have different [thieves] spread out [throughout the plane]. Some will sit in Business Class, and some will sit in Economy, so that’s easy for them to pass the stolen stuff. They also have people helping them on the ground. Sometimes it’s not necessary to take the stolen goods themselves [from the plane] ’cos they may get caught by the police. So they will hide [the stolen item] inside the toilet compartments as there are a lot of secret compartments [in the airplane lavatory], like inside the trash bins, behind the sink, or in the mirror. [After they’ve disembarked the plane], the airport cleaner will come on board to retrieve their item [for them].”

Sounds like the stuff of movies? Sam explained that he got his intel from  “Instagram comments and the intelligence gathered from the aviation industry”. 

One of the comments is from a former cabin crew who said that it “happened on one of my operating flights to Hong Kong”, where “a lady lost her cash but we caught the guy and handed [him] over to the police on arrival”. 

She continued: “These people are working in syndicates and they have been doing this for a long time. They usually target night flights when everyone is asleep and they will change clothes to disguise as someone else.” 

While it cannot be verified if all plane thieves operate in syndicates, one thing’s for sure: Mid-air thefts are on the rise, and if you’re travelling, you should stay vigilant and keep your valuables safe with you on the plane. Here’s how.

How to keep your valuables safe from thieves on flights

#1: Keep valuables close to you — or better yet, on you. Wear a cross-body bag for items like phones, passports and cash that you can carry with you at all times. Do not keep cash, passports or other valuables in bags in the overhead compartment.