While Asleep, Secretly... Chinese National Charges 100 Million Won on Stolen Card Aboard Flight

2 Years and 6 Months in Prison
"Serious Nature of the Crime... But Remorse Taken Into Account"

A Chinese national who stole credit cards on a flight departing from Hong Kong to Incheon International Airport and purchased 100 million KRW worth of jewelry with them was sentenced to prison.

On the 12th, Judge Kim Ji-hoo of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 2 sentenced the 52-year-old Chinese defendant A, who was detained and prosecuted on charges of theft and fraud, to 2 years and 6 months in prison.

The court stated, "Although the defendant denied some of the crimes, considering the various pieces of evidence, guilt is established," and added, "Considering the circumstances and methods of the crime, the nature of the offense is very serious, and the situation after the crime is also unfavorable. The defendant did not reach a settlement with the victims."

However, the court explained the sentencing reasoning by saying, "The defendant has shown remorse and has no prior record of punishment in Korea."

Mr. A was charged with stealing a credit card and 5,000 dollars (approximately 6.6 million KRW at the exchange rate at the time) from another Chinese passenger's bag on a flight departing from Hong Kong to Incheon Airport in mid-May last year.

According to the police investigation, he took advantage of another passenger sleeping in the business class seat to open the overhead luggage compartment above the seat and rummage through the bag.

After arriving at Incheon Airport and entering the country, Mr. A met with two Chinese accomplices and purchased over 100 million KRW worth of jewelry at gold and silver shops in the Jongno-gu area of Seoul using the stolen credit cards, then fled to China with his accomplices.

Two months later, he was arrested by the police while attempting to enter the country after stealing 540 dollars (700,000 KRW) using the same method on a flight from Hong Kong to Incheon.