PUBLISHED ONAugust 24, 2026 11:28 AMBYSean LerA 26-year-old British man and a 50-year-old Polish woman will be charged in court on Tuesday (Aug 25) over their alleged involvement in separate cases of shop theft at Changi Airport.
Police said on Monday that the alleged crimes took place at Jewel Changi Airport on Aug 14, and Changi Airport Terminal 1 on June 11 respectively.
The first case involving the man was reported at about 6.35pm, after a retail assistant noticed a blue denim jacket missing from a display mannequin.
Checks on the shop's closed circuit television (CCTV) footage show the man allegedly removing the jacket, valued at about $350, from the mannequin at about 3.55pm.
He left the store without paying and had already departed Singapore when officers from the Airport Police Division established his identity.
However, his luck ran out when he transited through Changi Airport just a day later, and the police arrested him.
Meanwhile, the Polish woman's alleged crime was uncovered after a retail outlet in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1 realised that a bottle of perfume was missing.
She was identified following a review of the shop's CCTV footage and arrested in the transit area before her departure.
Further investigations revealed that the woman had not only allegedly taken the bottle of perfume worth $410, but also another bottle of perfume — worth about $400 — from another shop.
If found guilty of the offence of theft in dwelling, the duo could each face imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
The police also warned would-be perpetrators that they should not assume that they can evade detection by simply leaving Singapore after committing an offence.
On Aug 4, a 37-year-old Australian man was arrested at the airport about nine months after he stole from a retail outlet in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2.
At that time, the police said 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 in a statement then.
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