No more re-entry to Singapore: Australian man jailed after stealing perfume bottles at Changi Airport
SINGAPORE: There is definitely no chance that an Australian man will re-enter Singapore when he was caught stealing two bottles of perfume at the Changi Airport when he was about to leave the country last year. The authorities successfully arrested the man as he tried to re-enter Singapore last month, and was sentenced to jail on Tuesday, September 1.
According to case details, the 37-year-old suspect was boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur at Changi Airport when the crime happened. Further investigations revealed that on November 19 last year, the suspect entered a shop before his flight, and when he believed that no one was paying attention to his actions, he casually took two bottles of perfume amounting to more than S$400. He then put the stolen perfumes in a white paper bag and immediately walked out of the store without paying.
The store security guard noticed that there were some items missing from the store, and after reviewing the surveillance camera, confirmed that there was theft that had happened and reported the incident to the police.
Last August 4, 2026, the suspect returned to Singapore, giving the authorities the opportunity to make the arrest. The suspect made a full settlement of his crime two days later.
When pleading for leniency, the suspect’s lawyer admitted that he was suffering from major depression and anxiety disorder at the time of the crime, and the suspect had already made full compensation. It was also shared that the suspect was betrayed by his girlfriend and was working as a caregiver for his elderly parents.
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At the end, the judge considered sentencing him only four days in jail.
Other related news
In similar news related to theft, there was a report that a maid sneaked into her employer’s bedroom and decided to switch all of his gold jewellery with fake ones.
In a span of three months, the woman stole gold necklaces and bracelets amounting to more than S$6,000.
Read more about the news story here.