The suspect was taken into custody on April 30 at a casino in Colombo Fort, following a swift investigation by airport authorities.
The incident occurred on Etihad Airways flight EY-394, which arrived in Katunayake at around 3:00 a.m. The victim, a Russian national identified as a senior migration medical officer, had reportedly fallen asleep during the flight. His hand luggage had been placed in the overhead compartment.
During this time, the suspect allegedly stole USD 9,900 (approximately LKR 3.1 million) from the bag.
Upon arrival, the victim discovered the missing money and lodged a complaint with airport police around 4:00 a.m. Officers immediately reviewed airport CCTV footage and identified the suspect as the only Chinese passenger on board. He was seen quickly exiting the airport while evading surveillance and fleeing in a taxi.
Police tracked the taxi through the airport’s transport service records, which led them to a casino in Colombo Fort. After examining the casino’s security footage, officers arrested the suspect at the premises.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had already spent USD 4,000 on casino gambling. At the time of arrest, he still had USD 5,900 (approximately LKR 1,885,640) in his possession.
The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court on May 1.
Authorities continue further investigations into the incident.
