Woman stole from supermarket 12 times before missing alcohol was spotted during stock check

SINGAPORE: A 31-year-old Filipino woman stole 20 bottles of alcohol worth S$1,216 from a supermarket over the course of 12 separate thefts in just over a month. Her actions were eventually uncovered through CCTV footage, and she has since been sentenced to jail.

The woman, who was working in Singapore on a work permit at the time, pleaded guilty to one count of theft. According to Shin Min Daily News, the offences took place between Apr 7 and May 15. On each occasion, she allegedly transferred alcoholic beverages from the supermarket’s shopping basket into her own blue shopping bag before leaving without paying.

The stolen items included spirits, sparkling wine and whisky, with individual bottles valued at between S$10 and S$118. In total, the alcohol taken was worth more than S$1,200.

Caught due to inventory 

The woman’s actions were uncovered after a supermarket manager noticed missing inventory on May 15. A review of CCTV footage revealed the thefts, prompting the manager to file a police report.

The suspect also appeared at the supermarket the following day and was easily recognised by the manager, who immediately called the police for the arrest. The police recovered 14 of the stolen liquor bottles, and the suspect admitted that the other bottles had been given to friends or had already been consumed. Due to this, she was sentenced to four weeks in jail. 

The suspect has not made any compensation to date. 

Other related news 

In a separate theft case, a maid who spent seven months saving for a pair of branded sneakers worth more than S$100 was left devastated after they were stolen by a stranger.

Investigation showed that a long-haired woman wearing a black long-sleeved top and a white skirt walked towards the shoe cabinet, somehow covering her face with her right hand as she went. She then squatted down in front of the shoe cabinet, and after quite some time, took the pair of sneakers and left. The entire process took about 30 seconds. 

Read more about the news story here.