Chinese luggage thieves detected on VN flight

Two Chinese men have allegedly stolen money and other assets from passengers on a Vietnam Airlines (VNA) flight last week by rummaging through their luggage.

The two foreigners, who were sitting in seats 33C and 34C, repeatedly walked along the aisle and searched the portable luggage of other passengers, said V.L.H, one of the passengers on flight VN593 from Hong Kong to Hanoi on October 29, to newswire Vietnamnet.

“The Chinese men took advantage of the fact that most of the passengers had fallen asleep due to the long five-hour flight.

“They even opened some of the bags,” he said.

Some passengers detected the suspicious behavior of the Chinese men, and immediately reported it to the flight attendants and the captain.

The flight crew then kept a close eye on the passengers in question, and handed the case to authorities when the airplane landed at Noi Bai Airport.

The other passengers, meanwhile, were asked to remain in the aircraft to check if they had had anything stolen.

A Japanese passenger in seat 32C said he lost some thousands of US dollars, but Noi Bai border gate police could not find the money on the Chinese men.

The robbers might have transferred the money to other accomplices on the plane, sources said.

The Chinese nationals were asked to return to Hong Kong on October 30, police said.

The national flag-carrier VNA said it will provide closer security on future flights to avoid similar incidents.