Travelling can be a delightful experience, but it also requires vigilance.
Recently, a Malaysian man experienced a significant loss of RM18,000, which he alleges was stolen by a fellow passenger during a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.
Sharing his ordeal on Facebook, the passenger recounted the distressing event that occurred on 25th July after arriving at KLIA airport.
He explained that he had a substantial sum of cash (both Thai baht and Malaysian ringgit) amounting to approximately RM18,000 in his bag, which he placed in the overhead compartment on the plane.
Our seats were in the first row, so we put the bag in the overhead compartment above the second row (the first row was full),” he noted, adding that the bag was secured with a padlock.
After the plane landed, all passengers began to stand up to retrieve their luggage.
The OP explained that a man in his 40s, wearing a brown jacket, obstructed him from getting his bag.
Reflecting on the situation, he suspected that the man deliberately waited until other passengers had disembarked to avoid suspicion.
When he finally retrieved his bag and checked it, he discovered that all the cash was missing.
Witness comes forward
Several passengers asked if he had lost something as they saw him frantically searching the bag.
They then mentioned seeing a man taking the bag out of the compartment and going to the washroom.
He touched the bag at least 2 or 3 times, so it was definitely him who stole our stuff!” wrote the OP.
Reported the theft
The OP immediately reported the theft to the flight attendants, but they did not stop passengers from disembarking and appeared uncertain about how to proceed.
He was advised to go to customs to request a CCTV check.
However, customs officers indicated that immediate checking was not feasible and would involve many procedures. By then, it would be too late.
After retrieving his luggage, customs officials advised him to contact the flight staff, who then directed him to the police.
Following that, the police suggested either contacting the airline for assistance or filing a report with the police.
A call for caution
The OP expressed his frustration, noting that had they reported the incident immediately, they might have caught the thief before he escaped.
“It’s clear that the money is gone, but I want to share this to lessen my sadness and to make more people aware that such things can happen on flights. We need to be more cautious,” he said.
He also advised everyone not to carry so much cash when travelling and noting that even with a padlock, it’s not secure.
WeirdKaya has contacted both the passenger and the airline for their comments on the incident.
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