Source: Facebook of MizReeney
Four Vietnamese nationals, 2 women and 2 men, were pronounced guilty for stealing thousands of pieces of clothing, amounting to almost $45,000 from different outlets of the Japanese clothing line, Uniqlo.
Source: Facebook of Derrick See
Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, 31, one of the two women is the syndicate’s ringleader. She was sentenced to one year and 11 months, together with Duong Tuan Dat, 27, and Van Tu Nguyen, 30. The second woman, Tran Thi Phuong, 29, was convicted to one year and 10 months jail time.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shana Poon said that the four came to Singapore using social visit passes last September 13 this year from Vietnam with a plan to steal from Uniqlo stores across the island. The four traveled with empty luggage bags allocated for the merchandises to be stolen.
After two days, the four started shoplifting in one Uniqlo outlet in Downtown East shopping mall in Pasir Ris, stealing worth $4,995 of 50 pieces winter clothing.
Three days later they were nabbed in their occupied hotel room in Chin Swee Road with 818 pieces of clothing pricing to more than $21,000.
Four days later, Hotel 81 Room key at Jiak Chuan Road near Chinatown led the police authorities to seize 636 pieces of stolen clothing by the same syndicate group, valued at about $23,000.
Other pieces of evidence for executing the crime used by the foreigners were specially prepared shopping bags lined with aluminum to shield setting off the sensor alarms, pliers and other tools for removing sensor tags.
The stolen thousands of clothing, including thousands of brassieres and winter clothing, will be sold back to Vietnam by the group if they were not caught.
Source: Facebook of Derrick See
Executing the crime was systematic. One walks out of the store and passes the goods to another member. However, they were apprehended when a security alarm was triggered after Duong walked out with the unpaid goods.
Uniqlo stores were the target for the shoplifting after knowing that many of the brand’s clothing do not have sensor tags. It is one of the most recognized and respected global fashion brands. It has more than 25 outlets islandwide.