SINGAPORE: Two Indian women have been sentenced after pleading guilty to separate shop thefts committed while transiting through Changi Airport earlier this month.
The two travellers flew into Singapore from Kolkata, India, on 2 June and were in transit at Changi Airport before their connecting flight to Bali.
While in transit, both women stole from retail stores at the airport but were swiftly apprehended by the authorities.
One of them, Garg Prasha, 30, was caught after stealing a black haversack worth more than S$80 from the Charles & Keith store at Terminal 2 around 7am.
She had placed the bag into her luggage trolley before leaving the shop without paying.
An alert employee noticed the theft and lodged a police report. Garg was found shortly afterwards with the stolen item still in its original condition.
On 16 June, she was fined S$700 after pleading guilty to one count of theft.
Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan highlighted that Garg had committed the offence less than an hour after arriving in Singapore.
“The only saving grace was that the bag was recovered, but she has been effectively caught red-handed here,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the second offender, Goenka Simran, 29, was sentenced to eight days’ jail on the same day after she pleaded guilty to one count of theft in dwelling.
Another similar charge was taken into consideration during her sentencing.
Goenka, who had arrived on the same flight, was waiting in transit at Terminal 3 when she entered the Furla store at around 1.40pm.
She took a yellow purse worth over S$300 and left without paying. She also admitted to stealing a bottle of perfume valued at more than S$200 from a cosmetics shop at Terminal 2.
“She was supposed to be in Singapore for only 10 hours, but she decided to help herself to goods worth more than S$500 in total during that time,” said the judge.
“She would have gotten away if not for the quick actions of the authorities and staff, and once she gets away, it would be impossible to recover the items.”
The prosecution confirmed that while Garg and Goenka knew each other, they did not commit the offences as part of a syndicate.
Under Singapore law, theft carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The offence of theft in dwelling carries a heavier penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The post Two Indian nationals sentenced for shop thefts while in transit at Changi Airport; One jailed, one fined appeared first on The Online Citizen.
