Chinese tour guide jailed for theft on Jeju-Singapore flight

A 30-year-old Chinese tour guide was sentenced to eight months in prison on Tuesday after being convicted of theft aboard a Scoot flight from Jeju to Singapore.

According to Channel News Asia, Zhang pleaded guilty to a single count of theft in the State Courts. The incident occurred on February 4 when he stole cash from a Gucci haversack stored in the overhead compartment.



Zhang first took notice of the bag when its owner, a 42-year-old woman traveling with her husband, retrieved her credit card to purchase food. Seizing the opportunity, he later took the bag to his seat, where he found a pouch containing cash in U.S. dollars and Chinese yuan. He then stole a portion of the money before returning the bag to the overhead compartment, The Straits Times reported.

However, the victim witnessed Zhang handling her bag and immediately confronted him. In response, he falsely claimed that he had been searching for his own belongings. Suspicious, the woman checked her pouch and discovered that some cash was missing. She and her husband confronted Zhang again, but he continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Two fellow passengers later reported seeing Zhang with the bag, prompting further investigation. Upon arrival in Singapore, cabin crew members discovered $885 in cash hidden in a different overhead compartment.

Faced with mounting evidence, Zhang eventually confessed, admitting that he had stolen the money to repay debts in China.