Sky High Thieves
A few days ago well known YouTuber Sam Chui did a story on thefts on planes alerting his many subscribers (in the millions) to the possibility of their valuables being swiped.
Having property stolen while transiting airports or actually on board a plane is not something many give much thought to or are aware of. We think theft while travelling is mostly pickpocketing or scams at tourist sites and while sightseeing. It does happen and stealing on planes is not a recent thing. I remember, about ten years ago or so, reading a blog post on a loyalty website. In that article it mentioned Asia as the prime hotspot, specifically flights in and out of China and Hong Kong (this last destination noted by Sam in his video). Since that time it has spread to other countries. Thieves have also become more sophisticated, better at planning and no longer working as individuals but in teams in the air and on the ground.
Their prime target are well-heeled passengers flying in First and Business Class. This is not to say they won’t try in Economy but the chances of them pulling off a heist at the back of the plane is very low. Concealing a theft with many more passengers around is much harder. Many more eyes than the few up the front.
Theft also happens on the ground while baggage is being handled; before loading at departure, while being shipped to the carousel at arrival or in transit when luggage is stored between flights. Security cameras are everywhere but this isn’t a deterrent for professional thieves. They will target easy to open luggage. This is why I always recommend travelling with rigid-framed cases that have lockable latches and other locks, not zips that can be easily prised open and then closed in a short time.
Personally I can’t say I have seen anything on my travels that’s remotely categorised as stealing, but on one flight to Rome about 6-7 years ago I remember seeing a woman walking around Economy looking at the backs of seats. She wasn’t looking in the overhead bins which would have been obvious, still to me this was unusual behaviour. She was probably looking for small items to take like charging cables or anything that can be hidden easily on her body or carry-on and then hard to identify when checked. Things like headphones, tablets and smartphones would be much harder to take. In the case of smart devices you would need the password or Facial/Touch ID to have control of the device.
Passengers need to be vigilant at all times. Observe any unusual behaviour and alert the crew. The flight attendants are aware of the possibility of thefts on board. They are trained to handle these situations. Anyone found stealing will be handed over to local law enforcement at destination.
Keep any valuables under lock and key in your carry-on. Anything of extreme value (passports, watches, jewellery and cash) on your body in pouches or slings, but make sure not to expose them to others and their peering eyes. Pickpockets can be anywhere, even on planes and they are good at what they do, unless you are one too and know what to expect.
See also an older article: Items Stolen From Checked Luggage?
