Media reports said that the theft was caught on camera. Officers at the Noi Bai International Airport checked the camera footage after receiving a complaint that a passenger had lost his wallet after going through a security procedure.

A South Korean man, whose surname is Lee, was identified as the culprit. He stole the wallet before boarding a flight to Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa Province. He was arrested on arrival based on information received from Hanoi.

Lee has admitted to his theft and has been handed over to the Central Airports Authority for further investigation, the report said.

Vietnamese airports, especially large ones, have achieved some notoriety of late over baggage thefts and extortion complaints.