Thailand–Hong Kong flight ‘rat pack’ busted in mid-air bag theft
Traveller urges vigilance after spotting group operation during international short-haul journey
A Hong Kong passenger caught a suspected in-flight thief red-handed on a Thailand–Hong Kong flight, exposing “rat pack” gangs targeting travellers’ bags.
What was meant to be a much-needed rest for one Hong Kong tattoo artist turned into a mid-air sting operation when he spotted a man rifling through his bag just 30 minutes after take-off from Thailand.
The passenger, exhausted after an 11-hour journey from Norway and a layover in Thailand, said he had just settled in when he noticed the suspect—described as a mainland Chinese man—opening his luggage in the overhead compartment.
“I’d gone two days without sleep,” he wrote in a post on social media platform Threads titled Aircraft Rat. “Luckily, I’m used to not sleeping, so I caught him in the act.”
The victim said his backpack contained an iPad loaded with tattoo artwork and a camera, which could have been lost forever. He warned travellers of two common tactics: thieves often sit apart to keep watch for each other, and they strike when passengers are asleep, targeting overhead luggage.
“Don’t put your valuables in the overhead bins.”
The man claimed the thieves operate as part of an organised “group business,” sometimes with up to 10 members on one plane, speaking both Mandarin and Thai. He said cabin crew alerted the captain, who contacted ground staff, leading to police waiting upon arrival in Hong Kong.
Two suspects were reportedly detained, but others seated further away could not be linked without evidence, according to Hong Kong media Sing Tao Headline.
After the tattoo artist filed a police report, other passengers checked their bags and found cash missing.
“It’s like doing a good deed. Better than helping an old lady cross the street.”
The man’s post sparked a flood of advice from netizens:
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“Always keep money and valuables on your person.”
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“Use a small crossbody bag and cover it with clothing.”
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“Take your bag into the toilet with you.”
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“Beware of thieves on short-haul flights who work in threes, pretending to retrieve their own luggage.”
One commenter shared:
“This Chinese New Year, flying from Thailand to Hong Kong, I had HK$40,000 (more than 160,000 Thai baht) stolen. I only realised the next day. My fault for putting so much cash in my backpack.”
Police and seasoned travellers urge heightened vigilance—because sometimes, the biggest pests on a plane aren’t turbulence, but the “rats” in the cabin.
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