A family of three from India holidaying in Singapore went on a shoplifting spree and stole over SGD S$4,000 worth of chocolates, clothes, cosmetics and other items from shopping centres at Vivocity, the Marina Bay Sands and ION Orchard before they were caught.

The family, consisting of a man, his mother and his aunt, came to Singapore on 1 Apr to celebrate the man’s birthday and ended up stealing items worth a hefty S$4,201.60 from Marks & Spencer and stealing cosmetics from H&M, over the five days they were here.

The trio began their shoplifting spree on 4 Apr when they entered H&M at ION Orchard and began stealing cosmetics. When no one was looking, the shoplifters stuffed cosmetics into a handbag.

Perhaps emboldened by their escapade, the family went to Marks & Spencer outlet at Vivocity and began stuffing chocolates in a bag. The sales manager at Marks and Spencer made a police report and the police raided the family’s hotel room at Dunlop Street.

The police arrested the family after finding over 50 boxes and packets of Swiss, Belgian, and Italian chocolates worth about S$400, clothing worth S$650.10, and over 200 cosmetics and accessories worth a hefty S$3,551.50.

24-year-old Abhishek Bipin Bhanushali, a maritime naval academy student studying in Mumbai, pleaded guilty to two counts of shop theft and was jailed for two weeks.

His mother, 43-year-old nurse Darshana Bipin Bhanushali, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and was fined S$4,000. Abhishek’s aunt, 54-year-old housewife Narula Bhakti Raman, was fined S$5,000 after she pleaded guilty to one count of theft.