A 25-year-old Indian national has been arrested for allegedly stealing S$1,515 worth of items from a shop in Changi Airport.
The alleged offence was committed on 16 July in the transit area of Terminal 3, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release on Friday (15 Aug).
Source: Changi Airport on Facebook
On that day, the affected retail outlet alerted the police at 1.41pm to a case of suspected shop theft.
The man had allegedly taken a bracelet and a pocket organiser from the store’s display shelves, according to preliminary investigations.
Source: Singapore Police Force
He then allegedly left without paying.
Officers from the Airport Police Division managed to establish the man’s identity via follow-up investigations and checking CCTV footage.
He was subsequently arrested in the airport’s transit area within just one hour of the report.
As a result, he was prevented from departing Singapore.
The bracelet and pocket organiser were found in his possession.
Next Monday (18 Aug), he will be charged in court with the offence of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871.
If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to seven years and/or a fine.
SPF said it takes a “serious view” of shop theft cases; thus, offenders will be dealt with firmly by the law, it noted, adding:
Offenders should not think that they can evade capture by quickly boarding an outbound flight.
SPF also pledged to continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter cases of shop theft.
There have been numerous cases of shop theft reported at Changi Airport this year.
In March, a 37-year-old Indian national was arrested for allegedly stealing more than S$1,670 worth of items from multiple shops in Changi Airport, including a handbag, watches, shirts, chocolates and accessories.
In June, two female Indian nationals were arrested for allegedly stealing three items worth S$635 in total at Changi Airport, detaining them before they could leave the country.
In the same month, a 38-year-old Indian national was arrested for allegedly stealing more than S$5,000 worth of items from 14 retail outlets in Jewel Changi Airport and the airport’s transit area.
Also read: Man allegedly steals tie clip worth S$480 at Changi Airport, gets arrested upon return
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force and Changi Airport on Facebook.