S'poreans on Europe tour had their shopping stolen from bus
In December 2024, Ms Huang took her mother on a tour of Europe that covered France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
On the last night of the Dec 13-23 tour, the 38-year-old secretary, her mother and the other 31 tourists got off their bus at about 9pm for dinner in Milan.
When they returned to the bus about 45 minutes later, Ms Huang saw that her newly-bought $2,734 Yves Saint Laurent bag was missing.
"We were sitting in the third row," Ms Huang told Shin Min Daily News.
"Before getting off the bus, I put the new bag in a luggage bag and stowed it in the overhead compartment.
"The luggage bag was gone but the bag of snacks next to it was still there."
Another passenger noticed that her belongings were also stolen.
Ms Li Meiling, 52, said was traveling with her husband and 24-year-old son.
She lost her new Fendi bag, TAG Heuer watch, Louis Vuitton wallet, €350 ($492) in cash, headphones, power banks and other personal belongings.
"This is my first time traveling in Europe, and I didn't expect to encounter something like this on a tour bus," she said.
The women were advised by the bus driver and their tour guide to return to the hotel to rest and make a police report the following day.
"On the day we arrived in Milan, the driver said the door was faulty, which I thought it was too coincidental," said Ms Huang.
"There were no signs of the doors and windows being pried open, which I found very suspicious."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now