SINGAPORE: A man who apparently stole a tie clip from a Changi Airport store before flying out of Singapore was arrested when he returned less than a week later.
The police identified the man as a 25-year-old Indian national. He was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in a case of shop theft at Changi Airport Terminal 2, the Singapore Police Force said in a media release on Monday (Feb 3),.
The man had been at a shop in the transit area of Terminal 2. On Jan 23, the shop reported to the police that a $480 tie clip was missing. The police, viewing footage from cameras in the shop, saw the man go into the shop and browse the items there. He was seen taking the tie clip and discreetly putting it into his left pocket. The man left the store without paying for the item. By the time he was identified, he had already left the country.
He returned to Singapore, however, five days later, on Jan 28. The police said he was arrested while he was in transit at Changi Airport, and they retrieved the stolen tie clip from among his possessions.
The man will be charged in court on Tuesday (Feb 4) for the offence of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871. He could be jailed for as long as seven years, fined, or both fined and jailed.
“The Police take a serious view of shop theft cases and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter cases of shop theft,” the media release added.
This is not the first time a foreign national has been caught taking items at Changi Airport recently. In September, a British woman who pleaded guilty to three counts of theft was fined $5,000. .
While waiting for a flight to Bali at Changi Airport, 36-year-old Tanya Bridget Hughes carried out a series of thefts in an hour and forty minutes. Hughes filched S$600 worth of items from several stores before getting caught. This occurred on May 31 at the airport’s Terminal 4. /TISG