Man sentenced 6 weeks' jail for attempted theft on plane
By Claire Huang
POSTED: 29 Apr 2013 8:42 PM
A Chinese national was sentenced to six weeks' jail on Monday for attempting to steal from a fellow passenger while they were in on board a plane.
Travellers at Singapore Changi Airport (photo: Francine Lim, channelnewsasia.com)
SINGPORE: A man was sentenced to six weeks' jail on Monday for attempting to steal from a fellow passenger while they were on board a plane.
Xu Changkai, 47, was convicted of attempted theft while on board a SilkAir flight from Singapore to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 19 April this year.
The Chinese national had rummaged through a duffel bag belonging to British passenger Betts Eliott James, 46.
Xu was caught doing so by flight attendants.
In the prosecution's submissions on sentencing, prosecutor Caleb Tan said thefts on Singapore-controlled aircrafts and aircrafts in general have become more prevalent recently.
In 2012, 18 individuals were prosecuted for theft and related offences on board Singapore-controlled aircraft.
In the first quarter of this year, 10 Chinese nationals have been investigated for such offences.
To send a message out to the public, Mr Tan asked for Xu to be jailed for at least six weeks.
- CNA/jc
