11 to be charged with separate theft cases, several are allegedly repeat offenders

SINGAPORE – Eleven people, some of whom are allegedly repeat offenders, will be charged in court on Nov 16 and Nov 18 in separate cases of shop theft, with several incidents taking place at supermarkets.

The accused are aged between 26 and 63, with items stolen including fruits, alcohol and skincare products, according to a police statement on Nov 15.

Among them are a 26-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man, whose alleged offences took place at a Sheng Siong supermarket outlet along Sembawang Crescent between July 30 and Oct 15.

The woman is believed to have been involved in 33 cases of shop theft, of which 21 were committed together with the man. The total losses for all the alleged incidents amount to around $960.

She was detected on Oct 15 via Sheng Siong’s facial recognition CCTV and with the help of the footage and police cameras, she and the man were identified and arrested later that day.

The woman will be charged with two counts of amalgamated theft in dwelling, while the man will be charged with one count of the same offence.

Also set to be charged with theft from a supermarket is a 30-year-old woman, who is believed to have stolen 22 items amounting to about $112 from an NTUC FairPrice outlet at Northpoint City on Oct 1.

She was detained by a staff member, and police investigations revealed that the woman had previously been issued a 24-month conditional warning for her involvement in seven cases of shop theft at a Sheng Siong at Junction 9.

Those incidents took place between Feb 26 and March 16, with the stolen items amounting to about $426.

She will be charged with one count of amalgamated theft in dwelling and one count of theft in dwelling.

Other cases flagged in the police statement include incidents which took place at pharmacies, department stores and beauty shops.

On Sept 29, a 49-year-old man is believed to have stolen a skincare product costing $326 from BHG department store at Bugis Junction, according to the police.

Further investigations indicated that he was allegedly involved in two earlier cases of shop theft at the same shop and a Guardian Health & Beauty outlet located at The Central in August and September. The price of the two skincare products he is believed to have stolen amount to about $336.

The man will be charged with three counts of theft in dwelling.

In another case, a 40-year-old woman is believed to have stolen a box of fruits worth about $5 from a Jason’s Deli outlet at Marina Bay Link Mall on July 29.

Police investigations showed that she is believed to have been involved in three earlier cases of shop theft at the same outlet earlier that month. The fruits she is alleged to have stolen cost around $56.

The woman will be charged with four counts of theft in dwelling.

Those convicted of theft in dwelling – theft committed in any building or residence – can be jailed for up to seven years and are liable for a fine.

In their statement, the police reminded retailers to remain vigilant against theft amid increased shopping activity and larger crowds during the year-end school holidays and festive period.

They advised retailers to ensure a good line of sight for displays and to keep expensive merchandise in locked showcases or at prominent locations, such as near cashier counters.

Retailers are also advised to keep items under surveillance by CCTV cameras and to have recording systems set up at the store entrance and exit points to capture the facial features of shoppers.

The police strongly encouraged retailers to join the Shop Theft Awareness for Retailers programme, which sees retailers working with police officers on ways to improve anti-shoplifting measures.

According to the police’s mid-year crime statistics released on Aug 24, shop theft and theft in dwelling were among the top crimes of concern.

Theft in dwelling cases increased slightly to 730 in the first half of 2026, compared with 726 in the first half of 2025.