A 51-year-old Singaporean woman has been sentenced to eight days’ jail after she was caught stealing bottles of wine from a Sheng Siong outlet in Punggol, with the supermarket chain’s facial recognition technology playing a key role in identifying her.
According to court proceedings, Catherine Tan Li Eng admitted to stealing 19 bottles of Jacob’s Creek wine worth around S$556 across seven separate occasions in September 2025. The incidents took place at a Sheng Siong supermarket located at Block 622D Punggol Central.
The case has also drawn attention to the growing use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition systems in Singapore’s retail sector, particularly as businesses step up efforts to combat shoplifting and retail losses.
AI Security System Helped Detect Repeat Offender
Sheng Siong had earlier introduced an AI-powered facial recognition CCTV system in 2024 as part of its retail security measures. The company later expanded the technology to all 83 outlets islandwide in response to rising shop theft cases.
Under the system, staff members review CCTV footage whenever inventory discrepancies are discovered. Once a suspected shoplifter is identified, their photograph is uploaded into the company’s security network.
Employees then receive instant mobile alerts if the same individual enters another Sheng Siong branch, allowing staff to monitor the situation more closely and contact the police when necessary.
Court documents revealed that Tan repeatedly targeted the wine section of the supermarket over a nine-day period between Sep. 2 and Sep. 11, 2025.
Investigations showed she would place bottles of wine into bags before proceeding to self-checkout counters, where she only scanned lower-priced groceries while leaving the alcohol unpaid.
Staff Reviewed CCTV Footage After Inventory Discrepancies
The thefts were first uncovered after supermarket employees noticed stock inconsistencies involving Jacob’s Creek wine bottles.
Retail manager Tey Soon Yao later reviewed surveillance footage and allegedly saw Tan entering the wine section carrying multiple bags. CCTV recordings reportedly showed her concealing bottles before heading to the self-checkout area without paying for them.
Further reviews of earlier footage uncovered several additional theft incidents linked to the same woman.
After Tan’s image was uploaded into Sheng Siong’s facial recognition database, the system detected her return to the supermarket the following day.
Staff members received a mobile alert upon her arrival at the outlet.
Tey subsequently approached Tan near the self-checkout area and questioned whether she had paid for all the items in her possession. Although she claimed that she had done so, an inspection reportedly uncovered three unpaid bottles of wine inside her bags.
Police were later called to the scene, and the bottles were recovered.
Court Says Multiple Offences Increased Severity Of Case
During sentencing, Tan’s lawyer asked the court for a lighter sentence of between one and two days’ jail, stating that she was the sole caregiver for both her elderly mother and an intellectually disabled cousin.
Her defence also highlighted that she had made restitution amounting to around S$470 for the remaining stolen bottles and expressed remorse over the offences.
However, the court ruled that the value of the stolen items was substantial enough to warrant a harsher punishment.
The judge reportedly noted that the charge had been amalgamated, meaning it combined multiple theft incidents into a single charge, which reflected a higher level of criminality.
Under Singapore law, theft offences can carry a jail sentence of up to three years, a fine, or both. Since Tan’s case involved multiple offences consolidated into one charge, she faced enhanced penalties of up to double the usual maximum punishment.
The incident also highlights how advanced surveillance technology and AI-powered retail security systems are increasingly being deployed across Singapore supermarkets and retail businesses to deter shoplifting and improve loss prevention efforts.