Three brothers flying from Bangkok to Dubai on Emirates were robbed of $2,600 during their flight. They had left their seats to help their father, also a passenger, who had become ill on the flight. When they returned to their seats, they noticed that someone had cleaned out their wallets.
According to The Nation:
After they informed the flight crew of the incident, a stewardess brought them to the first class kitchen. There, she took pictures of the remaining cash they had since these had the same serial numbers as those stolen.
After landing, police searched the airplane, and the men’s baggage and wallets were taken for inspection. They were instructed not to touch their belongings. Eventually, police were able to match a fingerprint from a bill in a wallet with that of the steward’s.
Turns out, the 37-year-old flight attendant had stolen the money, bought a $272 bottle of duty-free perfume during the flight, and then, when he realized the jig was up, tried flushing the money down a toilet before the plane landed.
Needless to say, he was arrested.
Getting robbed on a plane isn’t uncommon. Make sure to keep an eye (or your ass, if you’re sleeping) on anything valuable while you fly.
Image: Max Pixel