Overview
- Liu Ming, 26, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and was sentenced to 20 months’ jail on Dec 23 in Singapore.
- The incident occurred on SQ495 from Dubai to Singapore in the early hours of Aug 8 when he removed a business-class passenger’s bag from an overhead bin.
- The victim’s wife spotted the move, prompting Liu to return the unopened bag; a later check found no items missing.
- The bag held items valued at over S$100,000, including cash, a Huawei laptop, 56 cigars, and luxury watches from Chopard and Audemars Piguet.
- Liu claimed he took the wrong bag but was arrested on arrival at Changi Airport, and prosecutors sought 20 to 24 months citing detection challenges and prior similar cases this year.