A Chinese man has been arrested after he allegedly stole a passenger's bag on board a flight from Dubai to Singapore, media reports said on Sunday.

The police said on Aug 9 that they were alerted on Aug 8 at 5.30am to a case of suspected theft in the business class section on board the flight, reported The Straits Times.

Preliminary investigation showed, the victim was asleep while his wife saw the accused of stealing the bag from the aircraft’s overhead compartment.

The victim's wife urged him to return the bag and put it in the overhead compartment.

Checks by The Straits Times show that only Emirates and Singapore Airlines aircraft ply the route between Dubai International Airport and Changi Airport.

“After the aircraft landed at Changi Airport, the man was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for his actions to officers from Airport Police Division and was subsequently arrested before he could depart for his next scheduled flight,” police told the newspaper.

The victim, if convicted, could be jailed up to three years, fined, or both.