PUBLISHED ONAugust 17, 2026 1:20 AMBYSean LerThe long arms of the law caught up with a 37-year-old Australian man on Aug 4, some nine months after he stole from a retail outlet in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2.
A day later, a 50-year-old American man was arrested for the same offence, this time at the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1.
Police said in a news release on Sunday (Aug 16) afternoon that the two cases happened on November 19, 2025, and Aug 5 respectively.
In the first case, a retail assistant had reviewed the shop's closed-circuit television (CCTV) after noticing two boxes of perfumes missing from the display shelf.
The Australian man was seen taking two boxes of perfumes, worth about $430, before leaving without making payment.
According to the police, about two hours had lapsed between the time of alleged offence and the report being made. By then, the man had departed from Singapore.
He was arrested on Aug 4 while in Changi Airport again on transit.
The second case took place at a retail outlet in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1 at about 12.40am on Aug 5.
In this instance, the item stolen from the display shelf was discovered early and a review of CCTV footage established that the 50-year-old had taken a box of perfume, valued at over $310, and left without making payment.
He was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division before boarding his flight.
Following his arrest and a further review of CCTV footage, the man was found to have stolen one box of perfume each from two other retail outlets. The total value of the two items are worth over $400.
The duo will be charged in court on Monday for theft in dwelling.
If found guilty of the said offence, they could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.
The police warned would-be perpetrators that advancements in CCTV technology and its widespread use by retailers have enhanced the detection of such offences.
"Even where offenders initially evade detection, investigations will still lead to their identification and arrest," said Airport Police Division's commander Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi.
"Those who commit such crimes will be held accountable for their actions," she added.
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