SPF: Two foreign tourists charged for Changi Airport shop theft

SINGAPORE: Two foreign nationals were charged in court on August 17, 2026, for separate shop theft cases at Changi Airport’s transit area; one of them was arrested nearly nine months after the original offence when he returned to Singapore in transit, and the other was stopped by Airport Police Division (APD) officers before he could board his departing flight.

The Australian case

On November 19, 2025, at around 4:50 p.m., a 37-year-old Australian man took two boxes of perfumes valued at approximately S$430 from a retail outlet in the transit area of Terminal 2 without making payment. The theft was discovered at about 6:45 p.m. when a retail assistant noticed the items missing from the display shelf. CCTV footage confirmed the theft, but by the time the man’s identity was established, he had already departed Singapore.

On August 4, 2026, nearly nine months later, the man returned to Changi Airport while in transit. APD officers, who had been tracking the case, arrested him on the spot.

The American case

In a separate incident on August 5, 2026, a 50-year-old American man stole a box of perfume valued at more than S$310 from a Terminal 1 retail outlet at around 12:40 a.m. The theft was reported at 1:25 a.m. APD officers located and arrested the man before he could board his flight.

A further review of CCTV footage then revealed the man had also stolen from two other Terminal 1 transit stores that night: one box of perfumes valued at approximately S$170 and one bottle of perfume tester valued at more than S$230. All three items, with a combined value exceeding S$717, were recovered.

Charges and penalties

Both men will be charged with theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871, which carries imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi, Commander of the Airport Police Division, said the cases illustrated how advances in CCTV technology have significantly enhanced detection of shop theft, and that initial evasion does not mean escape.

“Even where offenders initially evade detection, investigations will still lead to their identification and arrest,” she said. “Those who commit such crimes will be held accountable for their actions.”

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