A 45-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a variety of items - including luggage, bags, a water bottle and accessories - from stores in Changi Airport.
On Thursday, September 25, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced that they received a shop theft alert at 7.40 pm on September 2 after a pair of sunglasses was reported missing from a store in Changi Airport Terminal 2's transit area.
As soon as a retail assistant noticed that the sunglasses were missing from a display shelf, she looked at CCTV footage, which purportedly showed the suspect stealing the sunglasses without paying for them.
Within an hour of the report being made, the Australian man was arrested at the transit area, according to a press release from SPF, which also stated that he was not allowed to leave Singapore.
According to police, additional inquiries showed that the man had allegedly entered eight different stores and taken a variety of goods without paying for them. A passport case, sunglasses, bags, a water bottle, luggage, keychains, and accessories were among them.
SPF said, "The items, with a total value of more than S$2600 (US$2,018), were recovered from his possession."
On Friday, September 26, the man will face charges in court. He could be fined, imprisoned for up to seven years, or both if found guilty of theft in residence.
SPF cautioned that shop theft cases are taken seriously and that offenders will face harsh consequences.
"Offenders should not assume that they can evade detection by attempting to leave the country quickly after committing such crimes," concluded SPF.
