A CABIN crew member with Singapore's Scoot airline misappropriated nearly $40,000 (RM126,424) in cash earnings from the sale of food and beverages on board flights over 366 occasions.
According to reports in The Straits Times, the offences were committed between July 2023 and March 2025. Luqman Hakim Shahfawi, 31, who was also a complex leader at the time with the low-cost carrier pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust involving more than $22,000 (RM69,000).
A second similar charge relating to the remaining amount of nearly $18,000 (RM56,000) will be considered during his sentencing. Luqman’s actions started when he lost two bags containing money from passengers who had bought food and drinks.
Worried that his supervisors would discover the loss, he later decided to keep the cash collected from the sale of in-flight food and drinks after he was not confronted over the matter.
He eventually confessed to his deeds.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Janessa Phua told the court that as a complex leader, Luqman supervised the other cabin crew members.
He also collated payments from the sale of food and beverages on board flights.
When passengers bought them, they could pay either by cash or card.
The cash collected would then be placed inside a “Brinks bag”, a bag for holding cash, the court heard.
At the end of each flight, the complex leader would do a tally of the items sold and the sales returns and record them in software used by Scoot.
After that, he or she would take the “Brinks bag” to the Scoot office and deposit the money into a safe within 48 hours of the flight.
Court documents stated that in 2023, Luqman lost two “Brinks bags” after a flight but did not report the matter to his supervisors.
On 156 occasions between July 2023 and March 2024, Luqman pocketed a total of nearly $18,000 in cash earnings from the sale of food and beverages on board flights.
He committed a similar offence involving more than $22,000 in total on 210 occasions between April 2024 and March 2025.
Investigations revealed that he used the money to repay his debts to unlicensed moneylenders.
He later came clean about his offences, and a Scoot representative alerted the police on March 20, 2025. Court documents did not disclose what had spurred him to do so. He was arrested the next day.
Luqman’s mitigation and sentencing will take place on Feb 3. – January 5, 2026
