Chinese national arrested at Delhi airport for ‘stealing credit cards of passengers’

The arrest came after the police received a tip-off from the Security and Vigilance team of Air India after suspicious activity was reported on board its flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to New Delhi. Officers said passenger Prabhat Verma, seated at 12C, was alerted by the cabin crew to unusual movement around his overhead baggage, following which he discovered his Bank of America credit card missing. It was later found under seat 14C.

The seat was occupied by Benlai Pan, who was not assigned there but had a ticket for seat 23C, officers said. Another passenger, Prashi, seated at 14A, reported that her mother’s HDFC debit card was missing. A third passenger, Nafeez Fatima, provided a video capturing Pan opening cabin baggage and inspecting personal belongings, the police said.

Pan and his associates were questioned. Meanwhile, a police team coordinated with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airline security, analysed surveillance footage, secured cabin crew statements, and examined digital evidence. Immigration records and past travel data of the accused are being reviewed.

“During interrogation, Pan confessed that he and his accomplices were part of a coordinated syndicate operating on international transit flights. Their tactics included booking transit flights with longer durations to maximise access to unsupervised cabin luggage,” said Usha Rangnani, Additional Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport.

“They would spread group members across different seats to avoid detection as a coordinated unit. They would target sleeping passengers, carefully open their bags, and extract high-value items and cards. They would then discard the cards after attempting misuse, making detection harder. The group deliberately used flights between high-traffic international routes, exploiting long-duration flights and cabin fatigue,” the ACP added.

The police have so far recovered a Bank of America credit card found at seat 14C, along with several bags, wallets, and electronic items currently under investigation.

Benlai Pan has been arrested, while further inquiry continues against his three companions, the police said. Authorities are examining travel records from the past year to trace connections to other unresolved cases. Alerts have been issued across airports in India, and international enforcement agencies have been contacted to explore the possibility of a broader theft syndicate.