Netizen Benedict Sulaiman took to Facebook on June 13 to report his experience of his money being stolen on a Jetstar fight from Singapore to Jakarta that same day. Mr. Sulaiman was alert enough to be conscious of two passengers’ suspicious behavior and reported the theft at once. With the help of the Jetstar crew and Avsec in Jakarta, the two thieves were apprehended immediately and the stolen money was found.
Mr. Sulaiman says that he saw 2 passengers behaving in a strange manner, who were assigned to seats 11C and 17D. He was seated in 16D, but he noticed the passenger from 17C going through the overhead bin where Mr. Sulaiman had put his backpack. The man told Mr. Sulaiman that he was merely looking for a pen, but his manner made Mr. Sulaiman suspicious. When he checked the bag, he found his mobile device and wallet intact, but his Singapore dollars where gone. His currency in Rupiah, however, had not been taken.
Mr. Sulaiman immediately alerted the crew concerning the passengers from 11C and 17D. It seems that another passenger also suspected the man from 11C of wrongdoing, as he had been opening other people’s luggage. No electronic devices were taken, only cash.
When the plane landed, the other passengers were asked to wait on board, while Avsec searched the two men and found money in several foreign currencies, but not the SG dollars. The rest of the passengers where then allowed to disembark, and the crew and Avsec did a more thorough search, finally finding the money in a folded emergency instruction card under seat 11C.
When interrogated, the man claimed they didn’t know each other, and yet, kept communicating with one another. Officials found tickets to other countries amongst the men’s possessions. According to Avsec, which now has jurisdiction over the case, this kind of thievery has happened before, though mostly on long-haul flights.
Mr. Sulaiman ended his post thanking the flight crew and AVSEC, as well as Indonesian Immigration for their swift actions, as well as the other passengers for their patience in the delay.
Mr. Sulaiman’s Facebook post has been shared over 4,300 times
Many netizens thanked Mr. Sulaiman for sharing his experience and vowed that they would be more careful in the future
Others posted comments to the effect that it’s always better to keep your valuables and cash close by, and not store them in the overhead bins