Chinese thief caught on Da Nang-Saigon flight

It was the second such incident in as many months on the same route.

Local reports gave no reasons for authorities not identifying either the airline or the name of the thief.

The Chinese male, 47, allegedly rummaged through a backpack stored in the overhead cabin of a 26-year-old passenger, who wished not to be named, HCMC police said Wednesday.

After the passenger discovered that VND9 million ($390) had been stolen from a wallet in his backpack, he informed the flight crew who found it on the Chinese man who was holding the money in his hands and trying to hide it with a coat.

The money was returned to the rightful owner.

Last month, another Chinese man was caught stealing 229,000 yen ($2,172) from the bag of a Japanese passenger on a Vietnam Airlines flight, also flying from Da Nang to Saigon, the Southern Airports Authority said.

It said several Chinese nationals been caught stealing from other passengers aboard flights in Vietnam in recent years.

Vietnam Airlines has said that the number of in-flight thefts has showed no signs of slowing down for several years now. It has uncovered 20 cases in the first seven months of this year, while budget carrier Vietjet Air has reported 11.

Last year, Vietnam Airlines reported 12 cases of in-flight crime that involved foreign suspects.

Vietnam's aviation industry served more than 56.8 million air passengers in the first half of this year, up 8.4 percent from a year ago.