Mainland Chinese man arrested after allegedly stealing HK$330,000 Rolex on Hong Kong flight
- Man, 57, apprehended after police receive report that watch, HK$5,000, US$200, €20 and 1 million Vietnamese dong allegedly stolen from passenger
Hong Kong police have arrested a mainland Chinese man on board of a flight of Cathay Pacific Airway’s budget carrier, HK Express, for allegedly stealing items such as a Rolex watch worth HK$330,000 (US$42,321) and thousands of dollars in cash from a fellow passenger.
The force said on Monday the 57-year-old man, surnamed Chen, was apprehended the previous night after officers received a report that the victim was furthermore allegedly robbed of HK$5,000, US$200, €20 (US$22.4) and 1 million Vietnamese dong (US$40).
The watch and a bank card were also among the stolen items.
Police added the victim, a 39-year-old man surnamed Yip, had placed the items inside a handbag and stowed them in an overhead baggage compartment when he boarded, but found them gone after the plane landed .
Airport staff members called police after the victim notified them of the incident and all plane passengers had boarded a bus on the tarmac.
“Several witnesses” identified the suspect, while the lost items which were hidden under a mat on the luggage rack of the bus were recovered, police added.
