Mainland man jailed 16 months for stealing $42,000 ring and bracelet on Dubai-HK flight

A 48-year-old mainland man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for stealing a diamond ring and a Christian Dior bracelet worth around HK$42,000 in total from a female passenger on a flight from Dubai to Hong Kong last July. 

The defendant, Peng Yi, who reported to be unemployed, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of behaving in a disorderly manner on board an aircraft. 

During sentencing at the District Court on Thursday, judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen cited travel records from Peng’s Chinese passport, which showed he took a total of 68 flights between March 2023 and July 2025 to destinations including Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Despite his meagre income of HK$3,000 a month as a casual worker, the defendant made repeated, unusual trips abroad, visiting some countries multiple times within a single month. For instance, the defendant traveled to the UAE on June 22 last year, before making return trips on July 5 and 15, respectively.  

Lam questioned how a person with Peng’s financial and employment background could afford such frequent air travel, but Peng declined to explain. He concluded that Peng’s sole purpose for flying was to steal valuables from other passengers, describing him as a professional “cabin rat”, a Chinese term for an in-flight thief. 

After stealing the ring and bracelet, Peng dumped them in a rubbish bin when spotted by other passengers, preventing the victim from recovering them. 

Lam did not accept Peng’s claim that he acted out of momentary greed, stressing the offence was clearly premeditated and planned, targeting passengers on long-haul flights and stealing within the crowded cabin.   

He strongly condemned Peng, saying the theft caused serious distress and disruption. A male passenger saw him rummaging in the overhead compartment, and the victim was left shocked when her valuables went missing.

Lam said nearby passengers inevitably became alarmed and checked their belongings. He noted that long‑haul travelers expect a calm environment, but the defendant’s actions undermined that security and forced the crew to abandon their duties to deal with the incident.

Describing the defendant’s actions as deliberate and calculated, Lam imposed the 16-month prison sentence.