Man arrested for stealing over S$5,000 worth of goods from Jewel and Changi Airport shops

A 38-year-old Indian man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in multiple cases of shop theft at Jewel Changi Airport and in the airport’s transit area.

According to a police statement on 23 July, the man allegedly stole perfumes, cosmetics and bags worth a total of S$5,136 from 14 retail outlets without paying.

The case first surfaced on 29 May when a retail outlet at Jewel reported a missing bag. Preliminary investigations revealed that a store supervisor had discovered the missing item during stocktaking.

CCTV footage later showed the man taking the bag and leaving without payment. By the time his identity was confirmed, he had already left Singapore.

However, he returned on 1 June and was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division. Several unaccounted items were also found in his possession, and the stolen goods were later recovered.

The man will be charged in court on 25 July with 13 counts of theft in dwelling, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. He will also face a charge of fraudulent possession of property, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The arrest follows a spate of similar cases at Changi Airport. On 23 July, two American nationals were charged for allegedly committing multiple thefts in the transit area.

In June, two Indian women were sentenced for stealing from airport shops while transiting to Bali—one was fined S$700 for stealing a bag, while the other received an eight-day jail term for taking a purse and perfume worth more than S$500.

In a statement, the police said they take a serious view of such offences and warned that offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.

“Offenders should not think that they can evade capture by quickly boarding a flight. The police will continue to work closely with stakeholders to prevent and deter shop theft cases,” they said.