Woman to be charged over alleged theft of Swarovski bracelet at Changi Airport

SINGAPORE: A 38-year-old woman will be charged over the alleged theft of a bracelet worth about S$256 (US$200) from a shop at Changi Airport Terminal 3.

The woman from China is suspected of taking the bracelet from a Swarovski store in the departure transit area and leaving without paying.

She was arrested before leaving Singapore, and the bracelet was recovered from her possession, the police said in a press release on Monday (Oct 12).

They were alerted to the case at about 1.15am on Sep 26, after a retail assistant found the bracelet missing from a display shelf.

Early investigations found that closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed a woman taking the bracelet and leaving the shop without making payment.

Officers from the Airport Police Division identified the woman through ground enquiries and CCTV images.

She will be charged with theft in dwelling.

If convicted, she could be jailed for up to seven years or fined, or both.

The police said that they take a serious view of shop theft.

They also said that CCTV cameras, including those with facial recognition technology, have helped retailers detect offenders and assisted police investigations.

Retailers are increasingly using such footage to make police reports, even when suspected shoplifters are not caught immediately, they added.