Police arrest mother-&-son shoplifting duo who stole $5,000 worth of sunglasses, perfume, etc, at Singapore's Changi Airport

On September 15, the Singapore Police Force announced the arrest of a mother and her teenage son from Uzbekistan, who had been charged with a series of thefts at Changi Airport on August 28. The charges were brought before court on September 16. The thefts were uncovered when a retail assistant at a shop in Changi Airport Terminal 2 noticed three pairs of sunglasses were missing from a display shelf.

After examining CCTV footage from that day, it was confirmed that a male teenager had taken the sunglasses and left the store premises without paying. The three pairs of sunglasses were valued at a total of $1,462.38.

Fortunately, the Airport Police Division was able to locate the teen and his mother together at the time of the theft. Upon checking their belongings, the sunglasses and additional items were found among their possessions. The police later discovered that the teenager had stolen more items, with a total value of S$4,887.03 from six different retail stores in the transit area.

This included various bottles of perfume, mobile phone cases, and accessories. Photos from the police statement show the teenager's mother had stolen a perfume box worth S$149.90 from a nearby shop, while her son had given her one of the stolen sunglasses.

Under Singapore's Penal Code, the teenager faced six counts of theft in dwelling, potentially facing up to seven years in jail, a fine, or both. His mother was charged with one count of receiving stolen property and one count of theft in dwelling, with a maximum sentence of up to five years in jail or a fine, if found guilty. The Singapore Police Force emphasized their serious stance on shop theft and warned offenders that they cannot evade detection after committing such offenses.