SINGAPORE: A 38-year-old Indian man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in multiple cases of shop theft at Jewel Changi Airport and in the transit area of Changi Airport.
According to a police statement on 23 July, the man allegedly stole perfumes, cosmetics and bags worth a total of S$5,136 from 14 retail outlets without paying.
The case surfaced on 29 May when a retail outlet at Jewel Changi Airport reported a missing bag.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a store supervisor had discovered the missing item during stocktaking.
CCTV footage later showed the man taking the bag and leaving without payment.
By the time his identity was established, he had already left Singapore.
However, the suspect returned to Singapore on 1 June and was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division.
Several unaccounted items were also found in his possession, and the stolen goods were subsequently recovered.
The man will be charged in court on 25 July with 13 counts of theft in dwelling, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
He will also face a charge of fraudulent possession of property, carrying a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The arrest comes shortly after a similar case on 23 July, in which two American nationals were charged for allegedly committing multiple thefts at Changi Airport’s transit area.
In another recent case, two Indian women were sentenced in June for stealing from shops at Changi Airport while transiting to Bali.
One was fined S$700 for stealing a bag, while the other received an eight-day jail term for taking a purse and perfume worth more than S$500.
In a statement, the police said they take a serious view of shop theft cases and warned that offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.
“Offenders should not think that they can evade capture by quickly boarding a flight. The police will continue to work closely with stakeholders to prevent and deter shop theft cases,” they added.
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