Two Chinese nationals were charged in Singapore on October 14 for allegedly stealing bank cards on the same flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Shu Zaijun, 54, and Dong Bangjun, 59, face theft charges relating to incidents that occurred on Vietjet flight VJ565 on October 12.
According to court documents, Shu is accused of stealing two debit cards from a passenger’s bag at about 8:30 a.m. Approximately 30 minutes later, Dong allegedly took a credit card from another passenger’s bag. It remains unclear whether the two men collaborated in the offenses.
Both were arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 4 at around 9:45 a.m. on the day of the flight, following a police operation in which three bank cards belonging to other individuals were found in their possession. Shu’s case has been adjourned to October 16, while Dong’s will be mentioned again on October 28. If convicted, each faces up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
Singapore police have noted a rise in identity theft cases, often linked to organised crime syndicates targeting transit passengers. Their annual crime brief from February highlighted an increase in identity theft charges from two in 2024 to six in 2025. A separate analysis indicated a surge in cabin theft incidents across Asia, frequently attributed to criminal groups using short-haul flights to Singapore and other regional hubs to steal items from passengers.
Assistant Commissioner M. Ma-lathi, commander of the Airport Police Division, told authorities in 2025 that detecting and investigating in-flight theft is challenging. She emphasized the importance of timely reporting by passengers to enable rapid police response, allowing officers to track suspects and intercept them before they board subsequent flights.
The police have not disclosed the operational bases of the syndicates involved. However, public records show that four out of five individuals charged for cabin theft in 2025 have been Chinese nationals, reflecting the nationality patterns seen in related cases. The ongoing investigations aim to curb this growing trend at regional airports.