SINGAPORE, Feb 27 – A 56-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing a S$716 (RM2,372) handbag from a retail shop at Changi Airport’s Terminal 4.
The incident occurred on Jan 7, when an employee discovered the missing handbag from the display shelf.
Surveillance footage revealed that the suspect, a Chinese national, placed the handbag on her luggage trolley and left the store without paying.
After identifying the woman, the police found she had already left Singapore, reported The Straits Times.
She returned to Singapore on Feb 17 and was promptly arrested at the airport.
The woman will be charged in court on Feb 27 for theft in dwelling. If convicted, she could face up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.
Airport Police Division Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi, emphasised that shop theft cases are taken seriously, and the increased use of CCTV by retailers ensures that such crimes do not go unnoticed.
This arrest follows a similar case in January, where a male Indian national was apprehended for shoplifting at Terminal 2 after returning to Singapore.