Man arrested for stealing HK$10,000 on flight

Hong Kong police have arrested a 58-year-old man from mainland China for allegedly stealing cash from a passenger on a flight. The incident occurred on a flight from Bangkok, where the man is accused of taking over HK$10,000 (about US$1,286). Police received a report from airline staff about the missing money. The cash, which included HK$6,500 and 30,000 Philippine pesos, was stored in a backpack in the overhead compartment during the flight. After looking into the case, police arrested the suspect on suspicion of theft. He has been charged with violating the Aviation Security Ordinance. The case was presented in court on Monday morning. In 2024, Hong Kong saw 169 cases of in-flight thefts. These involved a total value of around HK$4.32 million (about US$555,716) in stolen items.