Chinese national held for in-flight theft, suspected to be part of global syndicate

New Delhi: A Chinese national, suspected to be a member of an organised global in-flight theft syndicate, has been arrested for allegedly stealing debit and credit cards from fellow passengers during a flight from Hong Kong to New Delhi, police said on Saturday.

The accused, 30-year-old Benlai Pan, was arrested upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here on May 14 following complaints from multiple passengers aboard Air India flight AI-315, they said in an official statement.

Pan was travelling with three other Chinese nationals -- 51-year-old Meng Guangyang, 42-year-old Chang Mang, 45-year-old and Liu Jie -- all of whom were detained and questioned, officials said.

According to authorities, the group is suspected to be operating together as part of an international in-flight theft racket.

"Air India's security team alerted the IGI Airport police about suspicious activities involving four Chinese nationals on the flight. One of the passengers, Prabhat Verma, who was seated at 12C, reported that a credit card had gone missing from his bag," Additional Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said in an official statement.

"Verma also pointed out suspicious behaviour by a passenger seated at 14C, who was ticketed for seat 23C," the statement said.

The missing credit card was later recovered from beneath seat 14C, where Pan was found seated, she said.

Another passenger, Prashi, reported that her mother’s debit card had also gone missing. A third passenger, Nafeez Fatima, provided a video showing Pan allegedly opening overhead bins and rummaging through cabin baggage during the flight, the officer said.

During interrogation, Pan confessed that they booked long-haul international transit flights to target sleeping passengers and access unattended cabin luggage. The group spread themselves across the cabin to avoid suspicion and discarded stolen cards after attempting to use them, she added.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the IGI Airport police station, police said.

Mobile phones, wallets, and other belongings of the suspects have been seized for forensic examination. International coordination is underway to investigate their possible involvement in similar incidents globally, they further said.

While Benlai Pan has been arrested, the roles of his three associates are under scrutiny. Immigration authorities across the country have been alerted, and liaison has been established with embassies and global law enforcement agencies, police added.