One of three Chinese nationals believed to be airplane thieves was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last Saturday, September 14, 2024.
(Image from the Bureau of Immigration)
Flight attendants from Philippine Airlines (PAL) apprehended 48-year-old Lyu Shuiming in the act of rummaging through the valuable items in a Filipino judge's handbag, which had been stored in the plane's overhead compartment during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Lyu allegedly opened the overhead stowage bin to retrieve the judge's bag. Airline personnel noticed him rifling through the judge's bag and removing its contents.
Upon arrival at NAIA, the PAL flight attendants immediately reported the incident to the authorities. Lyu was then arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP), and they confiscated the cash amounting to ₱63,000 as well as other items belonging to the judge that Lyu had in his possession. It was found out that Lyu had a valid visa to enter the Philippines.
Lyu's accomplices, Xu Xianpu, 41 years old, and Xie Xiaoyong, 54 years old, managed to escape and board their connecting flight to Hong Kong.
The Philippines has since blacklisted the three individuals, barring them from re-entry into the country.
