AN Egyptian businessman was believed to have cash worth US$75,000 out of carelessness when he fell asleep while on a bus from Guangzhou to Shenzhen on Saturday (Nov 26).

Kadry Ahmed called the Shenzhen Daily yesterday to report the incident. He said he took a bus from Guangzhou to Shenzhen on Saturday morning, carrying with him a suitcase containing money and other belongings. The money was the deposit for a Shenzhen factory, with which Ahmed had placed some purchase orders.

He put the suitcase on the overhead luggage rack and dozed off during the later part of his two-hour trip. When he woke up, he was informed that his suitcase had been stolen.

"A passenger sitting near me told me that a group of thieves had opened my suitcase while I was sleeping. I immediately checked the suitcase, which was still there on the rack, and found all money was gone. At the time, the thieves had all run away. I reported the loss to the police immediately afterwards," said Ahmed.

He explained that he lost US$57,000, some Hong Kong dollars and Egyptian pounds, with the total value of the loss being US$75,000.

"It's my fault. I should be more careful. But that's all money I have, so I really hope I can get it back. I need help," said Ahmed.

The police are investigating the case, said Liang Weichu, deputy chief of the public transport police office, where Ahmed reported the theft.

"We attached great concerns to the case as it involves a foreigner and a huge sum of money. We have had some important clues regarding the thieves and expected to arrest them in the near future," said Liang.

Liang advised foreigners to remain alert while taking public transport. He reminded businessmen not to carry too much cash with them while traveling.

Editor: Wing