Warning as in-flight thefts surge

 

The thefts on board airplanes traveling from HK has surged by 164%

The police in Hong Kong have again warned the public to be always on guard when they travel because of a surge in in-flight thefts.

Recent police figures showed that a total of 132 thefts have been recorded on flights headed to Hong Kong in the first eight months of the year alone, marking a  164% increase in the same period last year.

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The most serious incident happened on a flight from Switzerland on Aug. 30, in which a passenger reported losing a luxury watch valued at $4.16 million.

According to a police spokesman, the male passenger had stored his backpack containing the high-end watch in the overhead compartment above his seat. He found the expensive watch missing on his arrival in Hong Kong.

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In another incident that happened only last month,  a Filipino couple who flew aboard a  Philippine airlines flight to Manila from Hong Kong lost three credit cards, which thieves immediately used to purchase luxury items in Malaysia that amounted to 70,800 RM (Malaysian Ringgit) (HK$ 127,500 or Php 913,000) in total.

The cards were inside a wallet that the husband had put in the bottom part of his backpack which he then stored in the overhead compartment above his seat. The couple discovered the credit cards missing when they were already in the Philippines.

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In an update, the couple said they are still trying to get the banks which issued the cards to write off the amounts incurred by the air thieves.

Police said the surge in the number of on-board thefts, which has now already exceeded the aggregate figure for last year, highlights the importance of safeguarding personal belongings during air travel. 

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