Passenger spots suspected in-flight thief on Seoul flight

A passenger on a flight from Hong Kong to Seoul, South Korea shared a disturbing experience on social media after encountering a suspected thief while seated in business class.

In a recent post on the social media platform Threads, the individual shared two video clips aimed at raising awareness among travelers regarding the importance of safeguarding their belongings during flights.

The footage showed the suspected male thief, who was wearing a baseball cap, acting suspiciously as he stood up and paced back and forth, occasionally glancing around cautiously.

The second clip captured the moment when the man attempted to get a briefcase from the overhead compartments in the front row. 

His act woke the passenger nearby. However, the man remained calm and placed the briefcase on the floor before returning to his seat. 

He then pretended to organize his belongings before returning the briefcase and getting his own bag.

Some noted that the original poster could have reported it to the crew when she found something suspicious, while others added that the footage could be evidence for law enforcement. 

In response, the original poster said considering the man's theft attempt had failed, she opted not to report the incident to the airline as she was afraid of potential retaliation.

The Hong Kong Security Bureau recently reported a rise of in-flight thefts, with 169 cases recorded from January to October 2024, marking an increase from 92 cases in 2023 and exceeding the 147 incidents in 2019.

About 70 percent of the theft cases occurred on short-haul flights from Southeast Asia, with originating countries including Malaysia, Thailand, India and Vietnam, with 7 percent departing from China, Japan and South Korea.

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