Another foreigner gets caught shoplifting at Changi Airport

SINGAPORE: Yet another foreign national was arrested in an incident of shoplifting at Changi Airport. A 45-year-old man from Australia entered a series of shops at the airport and left them after taking items without paying. The incident comes on the heels of a high-profile case of two Italian swimmers who were detained in Singapore in August after getting caught shoplifting in the airport as well.

Fortunately, within an hour of the first report regarding the man’s wrongdoings being filed, he was apprehended, according to a press statement from the Public Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force on Thursday (Sept 25).

The report says that the incident occurred on Sept 2. At around 7:40 in the evening, the Police received a report that a pair of sunglasses had been stolen from a shop inside the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2. After a sales assistant noticed that the sunglasses were missing from the display shelf where they had been placed, a police report was lodged right away.

Upon viewing CCTV footage, the man was allegedly seen taking the sunglasses. Police officers from the Airport Police Division used the footage to determine the man’s identity. He was found and detained in the transit area of the airport and was prevented from flying out of Singapore.

Upon carrying out further investigations, the Police discovered that the man had gone to eight separate shops and was said to have taken without paying a number of items that were recovered from his possession. These items include sunglasses, bags, a water bottle, luggage, a passport case, keychains, and other accessories. Their value totalled more than $2600.

The Police included photos of the items the man is said to have taken without paying.

The Australian national was scheduled to be charged in court on Friday (Sept 26), with the offence of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871. The man could be made to pay a fine, be jailed for as much as seven years, or both, if he is found guilty of the offence.

“The Police take a serious view of shop theft cases and will deal firmly with offenders in accordance with the law. Offenders should not assume that they can evade detection by attempting to leave the country quickly after committing such crimes. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders to prevent and deter cases of shop theft at Changi Airport,” the statement reads. /TISG

Read also: No diplomatic interventions to influence legal outcome of Italian swimmers who shoplifted at Changi Airport