Singapore officials charge airline passenger after he allegedly stole over $23K from others on plane

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Officials in Singapore charged a man who allegedly stole over $23,000 from multiple passengers on a flight from Vietnam.

Zhang Xiuqiang, 52, a Chinese national, boarded Scoot airlines flight TR305 on Dec. 16 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Changi Airport  in Singapore when he allegedly stole $23,260 combined from three passengers, according to Channel News Asia.

While on the flight, Xiuqiang managed to steal a total of over $20,948 from a black backpack, officials alleged.

The individual also allegedly took over $1,500 from an envelope located in a gray bag, and more than $500 from a backpack on the plane.

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A man aboard a Scoot airline plane from Vietnam to Sigapore allegedly stole more than $23,000 from several passengers. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Xiuqiang was charged on Monday with three counts of theft and faces up to three years in jail, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the airline told CNN that the individual was escorted off the plane upon landing.

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The man allegedly stole over $20,000 from just one bag. (Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“Our cabin crew was alerted by a passenger to a suspected theft in the cabin and activated the Airport Police Division,” the Scoot spokesperson said. “The involved passengers were escorted off the aircraft by airport authorities for further investigation, and disembarkation proceeded as usual for the rest of our passengers.”

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The passenger aboard the Scoot plane allegedly stole the money from three different people. (Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“We also advise our customers to safeguard their valuables at all times,” the spokesperson added.

Scoot is a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

Fox News Digital reached out to Scoot for comment, but has not yet heard back.

Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.