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The Police have arrested a 45-year-old male Australian national for his suspected involvement in a series of shop thefts committed in the transit area of Changi Airport.

On 2 September 2025 at about 7.40pm, the Police were alerted to a case of shop theft after a pair of sunglasses were reported missing from a retail outlet located inside the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2. Preliminary investigations revealed that a retail assistant discovered a pair of sunglasses missing from the display shelf and immediately reviewed the CCTV footage, which showed a man allegedly taking the sunglasses without making payment. Through ground enquiries and with the aid of CCTV footage, officers from Airport Police Division established the identity of the man and detained him in the transit area within an hour of the report, and prevented him from leaving Singapore.

Further investigations revealed that the man had entered eight different shops and allegedly took various items including sunglasses, bags, water bottle, luggage, passport case, keychains and accessories without making payment.  The items, with a total value of more than $2600, were recovered from his possession.

The man will be charged in court on 26 September 2025 with the offence of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871. If convicted, he shall be punished with an imprisonment term which may extend to 7 years, a fine, or both.

The Police take a serious view of shop theft cases and will deal firmly with offenders in accordance with the law. Offenders should not assume that they can evade detection by attempting to leave the country quickly after committing such crimes. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders to prevent and deter cases of shop theft at Changi Airport. 

Items recovered ▼