A 35-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman will be charged in court on 10 November 2022 for their suspected involvement in separate cases of shop theft.
- On 4 January 2022, the Police were alerted to a case of theft at a petrol kiosk along Geylang Road. A 35-year-old man was arrested at the scene. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was in possession of a wireless charger, valued at $49.90, which was from the petrol kiosk. The man will be charged with one count of theft-in-dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 12 July 2022, the Police were alerted to a case of theft at Plaza Singapura. A 67-year-old woman was arrested at the scene. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had, in her possession, various items from multiple shops located at the shopping mall, and taken bottle of tone-up cream from a store at Junction 8 on 3 June 2022. The items had an estimated total value of more than $500. The woman will be charged with five counts of theft-in-dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871.
In addition, Tan Wee Siong (“Tan”), a 42-year-old man, was convicted in court on 23 September 2022, and sentenced to 31 months’ imprisonment, for his involvement in a series of theft-in-dwelling cases. Between June and July 2022, the Police received multiple reports of items stolen from shops at multiple shopping centres. The locations include People’s Park Complex, Funan Mall, Chinatown Point, and Parkway Parade. The stolen items had an estimated total value of more than $1,800.
Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from CCTVs and Police cameras, officers from the Central Police Division and Bedok Police Division established the identity of Tan and arrested him on 10 July 2022. He was charged in court on 11 July 2022, and subsequently convicted for:
- Five counts of theft-in-dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871; and
- One count of theft-in-dwelling with common intention under Section 380 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871.
The offence of theft-in-dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.
The Police take a serious view of shop theft cases and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter cases of shop theft. The Police would like to remind retailers to remain vigilant against shop thieves, especially when large crowds are expected. Retailers are advised to adopt the following measures:
- Ensure a good line of sight for the displays by using an appropriate shop layout;
- Display advisory posters or signage against shop theft;
- Display expensive merchandise in locked showcases or at prominent locations (e.g. near cashier counters);
- Install CCTVs with recording system at the entrance/exit of the store to capture the facial features of shoppers; and
- Deploy adequate security personnel to patrol the premises in luminous vests for deterrence.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
09 November 2022 @ 7:23 PM