Passengers traveling through Narita International Airport are greeted by airport and airline representatives who hand out Manga leaflets suggesting preventative measures for in-flight thefts. This is part of a collaboration with airlines and Chiba Prefecture police to address increased incidents.

As the Mainichi reports, the number of in-flight theft incidents, which abated during the pandemic, is rising again as more people travel.

Inside Tokyo Narita Airport’s terminal.

Photo: Rick Siu | Shutterstock

The Chiba Prefectural Police Station at Narita Airport had handled 19 reports of in-flight thefts by the end of October 2024. At the same point in 2023, the police received seven such reports. Approximately 60% of the in-flight theft victims were Japanese men. Thefts have been reported on flights to various North America and Asia destinations. In addition to theft reports, others have reported damage to their personal belongings.

Thieves are replacing bills with currency of lower value

Victims reported losing Japanese yen and US dollars, with one victim reporting 2.07 million yen ($14,300) had been stolen. The currency was taken from their bags and stored in overhead bins.

Overhead Stowage
The large overhead bins onboard the aircraft. Photo: Jay Singh | Simple Flying

The Mainichi reports that crafty thieves are taking cash from victims’ wallets and replacing the stolen bills with foreign currency of lower value to make the theft less obvious. How they carried out this sleight of hand without being caught onboard remains unknown. However, most thefts are suspected to have occurred while the victims slept.

The Manga stop-theft campaign at Narita Airport

To help fight this crime, the police are working on a special awareness campaign with the company that manages Narita Airport and Japan Airlines’ low-cost carrier, ZIPAIR Tokyo.

ZIPAIR Tokyo Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner taking off.
Photo: ZIPAIR

In November of last year, two ZIPAIR cabin crew members and airport ground staff passed out 200 manga flyers drawn by a police officer who used to be a manga artist. The flyers, with speech bubbles in four languages, suggest travel theft precautions, including not leaving personal items out of sight and not storing valuables in the aircraft seat pockets or overhead bins.

Hong Kong has also seen a rise in in-flight thefts

Japan is not alone in tackling in-flight thieves. There have been reports of in-flight thefts on flights in Singapore, France, and the United States before and after the pandemic.

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The suspect could face penalties, including jail time and fines.

There has also been a rise in recent incidents in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Security Bureau saw 169 in-flight theft cases over the first ten months of 2024, with 70% of incidents occurring on short-haul flights from Southeast Asia. This is according to a report by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, to the Legislative Council in December, as first covered by the Hong Kong Free Press.

Passenger and traveler waiting for boarding at boarding gate Hong Kong International Airport

Photo: ShutterStockStudio | Shutterstock

According to police records, the Security Bureau had 92 cases in 2023 and 147 cases in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. As in Japan, the recovery of air travel has been accompanied by the return of in-flight thieves.

As Tang states in his report to legislators:

  • 70% of in-flight thefts have occurred on flights departing from Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Vietnam;
  • 20% occurred on flights from the Middle East departing from Dubai, Turkey, and Doha;
  • 7% occurred on flights from Mainland China, Japan and South Korea;
  • 3% of thefts happened on flights from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland.
  • The stolen property included cash in various currencies, expensive jewelry, watches, and credit cards.
  • The total value of stolen items is estimated at HK$4.32 million (about $552,000).

Four arrests in Hong Kong but no convictions

Police arrested four Chinese nationals between January and October last year on suspicion of theft onboard aircraft. Tang reported that one person is on remand pending trial, and another has been released on bail pending further investigation. Charges were dropped in the other two cases due to insufficient evidence and the witnesses’ unwillingness to return to Hong Kong to testify.

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An American Airlines passenger is in jail after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from other passengers on a flight from Buenos Aires last week

No in-flight CCTV—Hong Kong Police partner with airlines and airports to raise awareness instead

According to Tang’s report, Hong Kong police are also proactive in addressing the worrying rise in incidents. They collaborate with airports, airlines, the Hong Kong Airport Authority, and Aviation Security Limited to exchange intelligence on crimes, identify high-risk routes, and host crime prevention seminars.

hong kong airport terminal with passengers walking
Photo: Sorbis | Shutterstock

Addressing questions from legislators, Tang discounted the possibility of CCTV or security staff being installed on aircraft.

With issues such as personal privacy and human resources being taken into account, these arrangements may not conform to the principle of proportionality,” Tang said.

Instead, the police are working with airlines to raise awareness among cabin crew and the public about preventing onboard thefts.

Between January and October of last year, the police organized 38 seminars covering crime “trends and common modus operandi for a total of 937 airport stakeholders from 38 airlines” to heighten vigilance among airline staff. They have also issued videos and pamphlets warning the public to properly secure their personal belongings when traveling by air.

To address potential thieves, Hong Kong police include reminders in their messaging that offenders could face up to 10 years in prison. Police urge travelers to report property theft immediately to aid in an efficient investigation.

How passengers can protect themselves from in-flight thieves

The consensus is that passengers can protect themselves from these thieves by not storing valuables where they can easily be taken, such as in aircraft seat pockets, or packing their most valuable items in carry-on bags stored in overhead bins. Instead, they should keep valuables close at all times and store them in a security belt or a small cross-body bag worn throughout the flight.

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