Sats cargo handler jailed 18 weeks for stealing over S$3,500 worth of bird’s nest in transit at Changi Airport

SINGAPORE — An air shipment of bird’s nest, which was in transit in Singapore, was scheduled to be flown to the Taiwanese capital of Taipei on the morning of Nov 20 last year, but the cargo, worth over S$3,580, was nowhere to be found. 

Investigations later found that all 6.8kg worth of the delicacy had been stolen and sold by Pang Lishuai, a cargo handler employed by the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats).

On Tuesday (Jan 11), Pang, 28, was jailed for 18 weeks and fined S$2,000, after he pleaded guilty to a charge each of breaching regulations controlling the movement into a protected area and committing an act of theft by a clerk or servant of property in possession of a master.

A separate charge of stealing a forklift was taken into consideration for the China national’s sentencing, which was backdated to Nov 24 last year, the date he was remanded.  

It was not stated in court if Pang is still employed by Sats. TODAY has asked the company about his employment status.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Teo Siu Ming told the court that the bird’s nest had arrived from Jakarta, Indonesia on the night of Nov 19 and it was stored in the vulnerable cargo cage in the Sats Airfreight Terminal 5 at Changi Airport.

It was to be forwarded to Taipei on Nov 20 at around 8am. 

Investigations found that Pang was not on work shift when he entered the Sats Airfreight Terminal 5 at close to 3am on Nov 20.

While the location is protected under the Infrastructure Protection Act, Pang was in possession of a seasonal airport pass, which granted him access to restricted areas in Changi Airport for the purposes of his employment.

Pass holders are required to abide by terms stating that those who enter restricted areas for official purposes “shall not stay within the restricted area beyond official necessity”. 

“At all material times, the accused was aware that his entry to, or movement or conduct in restricted areas in Changi Airport was subject to these terms,” DPP Teo said.

Pang entered the employee changing room, changed into his work uniform and then headed over to the cargo sorting area where he drove a forklift towards the vulnerable cargo cage without the consent of the services manager for cargo hub operations.

Using the forklift, Pang stole the bird’s nest and drove it towards a ramp leading up the second level of the Sats Airfreight Terminal 5.

Halfway up the ramp, Pang stopped the vehicle, alighted and threw the bird’s nest over the side of the ramp, where it landed on a grass patch below.

Pang then returned the forklift to its original position, changed out of his uniform, collected the bird’s nest and took it back to his home after booking a taxi.

The shipment of bird’s nest was eventually found missing at around 6am and a police report was made. 

DPP Teo said Pang admitted that he stole the bird’s nest because he thought the box in which it was contained was “something valuable”.

Pang also admitted to selling the bird’s nest to a woman for S$5,000 and spent all the proceeds. 

“The bird’s nest was not recovered and the accused did not make any restitution,” DPP Teo added.

In pleading for a lighter sentence, Pang told the court through a Chinese interpreter that he has to support two children and his parents.

“I’m a divorcee and my children do not have the love of their mother. I hope to go back (to China) soon,” he said. 

For breaching regulations controlling movement into a protected area, Pang could have been punished with a fine of up to S$20,000 or jailed up to two years, or both.

For committing an act of theft by a clerk or servant of property in possession of a master, he could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.