Police at Ninoy Aquino International Airport arrested a Chinese national for theft after crew members reportedly caught him slipping stolen cards back into a fellow passenger’s pocket.
The suspect, 58, was taken into custody Saturday when his flight from Bangkok landed in Manila, according to the PNP-Aviation Security Group.
Investigators said flight attendants observed the man going through the victim’s bag while its owner had stepped away from his seat. Crew members also reported watching him quietly return the two cards he had allegedly taken, tucking them into the back pocket of the victim’s pants.
The complainant had earlier asked to be moved to a different seat, telling the crew he was uncomfortable with how the passenger beside him was behaving. He alerted flight attendants a second time after noticing that a debit card holding roughly AED 1,800 — about P30,143.45 — along with his GCash card had disappeared from his bag.
Once informed, the cabin crew notified the pilot, who arranged for police to meet the aircraft on arrival.
Authorities handed the man over to NAIA Police Station 1, where charges for alleged theft are being prepared.
