Time's up for Rolex theft suspect as travelers locked inside airport bus

Wallis Wang

A 57-year-old mainland man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a Rolex watch worth HK$330,000 and some cash from a fellow passenger on an HK Express flight from Vietnam.

Dozens of passengers from flight UO561 from Da Nang were trapped for an hour on the apron bus at the Hong Kong International Airport as police searched for the suspect.

Police received a report at 12.40am on Sunday from a 39-year-old passenger who allegedly lost a Rolex watch, a credit card, as well as cash - HK$5,000, US$200 (HK$1,560) and EUR20 (HK$174).

A female passenger told officers she saw a man holding a mainland passport covering such items with a blanket before stashing them. The man was later arrested by the airport district crime unit.

A Facebook user who claimed to be on the flight posted that the plane landed at around 12.25am and all passengers took the shuttle bus after getting off.

"But the driver did not start the bus after locking the doors, and we were trapped inside for an hour," he said. "It was so cold inside. We banged on the doors but no one responded."

Police then arrived and took five mainland men back to the plane.

One of the men had tried to switch seats during the plane ride but was stopped by a flight attendant, the online user said.

The budget airline said cabin crew immediately requested police assistance upon arrival. It also took the opportunity to remind passengers to lock their carry-on luggage or bags and, when leaving their seats, they "should take their valuables with them or entrust them to companions."

The Airport Authority said flight UO561 requested police assistance due to a theft case upon landing and that the airport apron bus took passengers to the terminal at around 1.50am.

In a similar case, a mainlander who flew to Hong Kong from Da Nang on a VietJet Air flight on Sunday night reported his credit card stolen.

Sources said the man kept the credit card in his backpack, which was stored in the overhead compartment.

They added that the man, who fell asleep during the roughly two-hour flight, was told by the bank upon landing that his credit card was used in transactions involving over HK$36,000. Police are still hunting for the thief.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com