SINGAPORE - A Chinese national who stole $175 from a fellow passenger on a plane was on Tuesday sentenced to eight months in prison.
Guo Yonglin, 49, pleaded guilty to stealing the money on Sept 7, on a Singapore Airlines flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Singapore.
The court heard that at 5.25am, an on-duty security officer seated five rows behind Guo saw him get up and walk towards a sleeping passenger, a 34-year-old Canadian.
The officer monitored Guo as he opened the compartment over the Canadian's head, removed the victim's laptop bag and took out some items after taking it to his own seat.
He confronted Guo later and the victim realised that two cash bills were missing from his wallet. The money was found in Guo's pocket, with Guo admitting that he had taken it from the laptop bag.
Further investigations showed that Guo had been travelling only with two hand-carry bags and had been in Colombo for only one night. Guo claimed he had been there on holiday, but could not remember the name of the hotel where he had stayed.
Guo could have been jailed up to three years and fined.
