A 26-year-old British man has been arrested in Singapore over an alleged shop theft involving a S$350 denim jacket taken from a mannequin at a retail outlet in Jewel Changi Airport.
The man had reportedly already left Singapore when police identified him in connection with the case. He was later arrested after returning to Changi Airport while in transit.
In a separate incident, a 50-year-old Polish woman was also arrested after allegedly stealing two bottles of perfume worth a combined S$810 from shops at Changi Airport.
British Man Allegedly Took Jacket From Mannequin
Police were alerted to the first shop theft on Aug. 14, 2024, at around 6.35pm after staff at a retail outlet in Jewel Changi Airport noticed that a blue denim jacket was missing from a display mannequin.
Officers from the Airport Police Division reviewed CCTV footage from the store. The footage allegedly showed the British man removing the jacket from the mannequin at around 3.55pm before leaving the outlet without paying for it.
Although police were able to establish the man’s identity during their investigations, he had already departed Singapore by the time officers located him.
The case remained under investigation until his return to Singapore. On Aug. 15, 2026, the man was reportedly arrested at Changi Airport while he was in transit.
Polish Woman Allegedly Stole S$810 Worth Of Perfume
In a separate case, police were alerted to another suspected shop theft at a retail outlet in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1 on June 11, 2026.
CCTV footage allegedly showed a 50-year-old Polish woman taking a bottle of perfume worth about S$410 at around 8.25pm before leaving the store without making payment.
Airport Police Division officers subsequently used the CCTV footage to identify the woman and arrested her in the transit area before she could leave Singapore.
Further investigations allegedly revealed that she had also taken another bottle of perfume worth about S$400 from a separate retail outlet at around 10.55pm.
Both bottles of perfume were recovered by the authorities.
Both Suspects Face Theft Charges
The British man is expected to face one charge of theft in dwelling, while the Polish woman will face two charges under Section 380 of Singapore’s Penal Code 1871.
The offence of theft in dwelling carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
The cases also highlight the role of CCTV surveillance and airport security operations in investigating suspected retail theft, particularly when alleged offenders have already left or are preparing to leave Singapore.
With Changi Airport handling millions of passengers each year, retailers and airport authorities rely heavily on security footage and other investigative methods to identify individuals suspected of offences within airport premises.
The suspects will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations in court, and they should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty.