(COLOMBO) – A Chinese national was arrested on Thursday in connection with the alleged mid-air theft on a flight en-route to Sri Lanka from the desert emirate of Oman, officials at the Bandaranailke International Airport (BIA) said.
According to the officials the Chinese national was arrested at passport control after the victim, a Lebanese businessman had complained to the cabin crew that he had lost US$ 15,000 from his travelling bag.
Initial investigations had revealed that the suspect along with two other Chinese shared the same row of seats with the victim who was travelling to Sri Lanka accompanied by his mother.
The suspect is alleged to have stolen the money from the victim’s night bag as the lights were dimmed in the cabin.
Earlier on the Chinese nationals had been upgraded to the business class owing to a lack of space in the economic section, the officials said.