On 30 May 2024, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) M Malathi, Commander of Airport Police Division presented the Public Spiritedness Award to a member of the public, Mr Muhammad Helmi Bin Ali (“Mr Helmi”), for assisting the Police in a case of theft on board an aircraft.
On 16 May 2024, Mr Helmi was on board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore when he noticed a man taking a laptop bag from the overhead compartment and rummaging through its contents. The man then removed an item from the laptop bag before putting it back to the compartment. Upon landing, Mr Helmi observed the owner who retrieved the laptop bag and discovered his missing credit card. At this point, the man who purportedly rummaged through the laptop bag had just disembarked from the plane. Mr Helmi quickly alerted the owner about what he had witnessed earlier. Together, Mr Helmi and the owner approached an Auxiliary Police Officer and successfully detained the man. The 30-year-old man was arrested for theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code 1871 read with Section 3 of the Tokyo Convention Act 1971.
If convicted, the offence of theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both.
Commander of Airport Police Division, AC M Malathi expressed her heartfelt appreciation to Mr Helmi for his unwavering commitment to keep our airports safe and secure. She said, “Airport Police would like to remind potential crime perpetrators not to take chances on board aircrafts, as such criminal activities will be dealt with swiftly. Airport Police will continue to work hand-in-hand with the airlines to keep our passengers, cabins and aircrafts safe and secure”.
To protect yourselves from being victims of crime on board an aircraft, please adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Keep your cash or valuables with you at all times instead of placing them inside the overhead luggage compartments.
- Be wary and keep a lookout for passengers who are seen opening up overhead compartments and retrieving baggage and rummaging through them during the flight.
- Alert the cabin crew immediately of such suspicious behaviour.
Photo of Commander Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi, presenting the Public Spiritedness Award to Mr Muhammad Helmi Bin Ali.▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
31 May 2024 @ 1:55 PM