Indian Man Arrested For Stealing Bags, Cosmetics Worth Rs 3.5 Lakh From Singapore Airport

Last Updated:July 24, 2025, 18:29 IST

An Indian man was arrested for stealing items worth over Rs 3.5 lakh from 14 shops at Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport. He was caught upon returning to Singapore on June 1.

The man was arrested while he was in transit at Changi Airport. (Representative image)

An Indian man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly stealing items worth over Rs 3.5 lakh from several shops at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport and the airport’s transit area, The Strait Times reported.

The 38-year-old accused is believed to have targeted at least 14 shops, stealing items such as bags, perfumes, and cosmetics worth a total of Singapore Dollars (SGD) 5,136, according to a press release issued by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

After committing the crime, the accused boarded the flight and left the country. But upon his return to Singapore on June 1, the 38-year-old was arrested, the police said.

The incident came to light on May 29 after a retail supervisor at one of the shops at the airport noticed a bag missing while checking the stock. The supervisor then notified the police about the theft.

CCTV footage reportedly showed the Indian man taking the item and leaving without paying.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that a supervisor at the store had realised a bag was missing after a stocktaking," the police were quoted as saying to Straits Times.

The authorities managed to identify the accused after the initial thefts, but he had already left Singapore by the time they confirmed his identity. However, on June 1, when he returned and was found transiting through Changi Airport, he was arrested.

The police said that the stolen items were recovered from the man, who is now expected to be charged on July 25 with theft and fraudulent possession of property.

“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," police said, as per the news outlet.

In another incident last month, one of the two women from India, who were caught stealing from shops at Changi Airport during their transit, was jailed for eight days. Goenka Simran, 29, was sentenced to eight days jail after she pleaded guilty to one count of theft in dwelling.

Earlier this year, another Indian national was arrested for stealing over SGD 1,800 (INR 1,14,705) worth of items from five shops at Changi Airport. A court handed Singh Sagar, 37, five theft charges for stealing items including stationery, chocolates and jewellery from Terminal 3’s departure transit area in about three hours on March 23, Straits Times reported.

Recently, the US Embassy in India issued a warning to visa holders and applicants, following the incident where an Indian woman was caught shoplifting items worth approximately Rs 1.1 lakh at a Target store in Illinois.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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