Chinese man, 26, gets 20 months' jail for stealing luggage from SIA business class flight to S'pore

A 26-year-old Chinese national was sentenced to 20 months' jail on Dec. 23 after he took a passenger's luggage on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Dubai to Singapore.

According to CNA, Liu Ming had also pretended that he had mistaken the bag for his own when he was caught.

Part of a theft syndicate targeting business class passengers and their high-value items, he had boarded flight SQ495 as a business class passenger and committed the offence in the early hours of Aug. 8, 2025.

Tried to steal luggage from sleeping passenger

Liu, who boarded the flight solely to steal, was seated five rows behind a 52-year-old Azerbaijani man.

The man was asleep after dinner service and while the cabin lights were dimmed.

Liu had walked over to the man's seat, opened the overhead compartment and removed his bag, before carrying it back to his own seat.

The man's wife, who was sitting in front of Liu, noticed the act and promptly confronted him.

She asked him if the bag was his, but she was unable to understand his response.

The woman then alerted the cabin crew.

Liu then returned the unopened bag, and later pretended that he had mistaken the luggage for his own when cabin crew questioned him.

The items inside the luggage were valued at more than S$100,000, including around S$12,000 in cash, a laptop worth about S$2,100, 56 cigars worth over S$5,400, a Chopard watch valued at over S$35,000, and an Audemars Piguet watch worth over S$51,000.

Cabin crew alerted ground staff at Changi Airport, and a police report was lodged.

Liu was arrested upon arrival.

Lied that he had mistaken the bag for his own

Liu did not cooperate during investigations, insisting that he had mistaken the bag for his own and that he had wanted to retrieve his personal items.

However, his bag did not resemble the man's and was stored in the overhead compartment above his own seat.

According to CNA, Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie sought a sentence of 20 to 24 months' jail, arguing that a deterrent sentence was needed as the offence engaged the public interest.

He added: "The proliferation of theft offences onboard Singapore's national carrier would tarnish its reputation, and that of Singapore's tourist industry."

Liu Ming pleaded guilty to one count of theft.

Top photos via Singapore Airlines/Facebook & Canva