A suspected thief was seen rummaging through the overhead compartment on a plane.

A traveller aboard Asiana Airlines flight OZ 746 flying from Hong Kong to Incheon, South Korea, saw the man allegedly pilfering items from the hat rack on January 28.

Footage shows the suspect wearing a black cap and jacket opening the shelves one by one while the cabin lights were dimmed onboard the single-aise Airbus A330.

The shocked filmer said: 'I was sitting in an aisle seat, and the seat in question was diagonally in front of me, also an aisle seat. I glanced over and saw the overhead compartment slightly open. A black backpack fell out, so I quickly sat down, locked my seatbelt, and reached out to push the compartment shut.

'I went to the restroom. However, as I walked down the aisle, I noticed that many passengers were securing their belongings after noticing the situation, which made me realise that everyone was startled.

'After returning to my seat, I went to the back of the plane to speak with a flight attendant, telling her about the situation. The flight attendant immediately asked me if I saw more than one person involved.

'At that moment, I became extremely alert and felt a chill throughout my body, fearing that this might turn into a security threat, which could lead to the plane being locked down for an investigation.'

The concerned traveller said the flight attendant did nothing to investigate the situation.

She later confronted the cabin crew, saying: 'I'm just a regular passenger. I did my best to report what I saw, but your handling of this situation was truly disappointing.'

In response, the passenger said she was told that they did not see the person in black steal anything.

Airlines advise travellers to remain vigilant, as organised crime groups have been known to target passengers for theft mid-flight.

Authorities in Japan reported 19 related cases in 2024. Victims have reported valuable items stolen and the contents of their wallets replaced with counterfeit banknotes or bills of different currencies.

In July 2024, furious passengers attacked a thief who was allegedly caught stealing cash from luggage in the overhead compartment.

The Chinese flier was said to have rummaged through bags to grab passports and money when Thai Airways flight TG600 had just landed in Hong Kong on July 21.

Footage showed the furious holidaymakers in coach class rounding on the Far Eastern passenger, with one grabbing his face, while an air hostess stood over him onboard the Boeing 777.

Passengers were kept on the plane for an hour before Hong Kong police boarded and frogmarched the suspect away.