SINGAPORE — A 47-year-old American man was arrested at Changi Airport nearly 10 months after he allegedly stole more than S$1,400 worth of perfume from retail shops in the airport’s transit areas.
The man was arrested on Sept. 25 during a planned operation after he returned to Singapore while transiting through Changi Airport, according to the Singapore Police Force.
He is due to be charged in court on Oct. 8 with five counts of theft in dwelling. If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
First alleged theft took place in November 2025
Police said the first incident occurred on Nov. 4, 2025, at a retail outlet in the transit area of Terminal 3.
At about 7.40pm, CCTV footage allegedly showed the man removing a box of perfume worth S$331 from a display shelf before leaving the shop without paying.
Further investigations found that he allegedly took another three boxes of perfume from two retail outlets in the transit area of Terminal 2 on the same day.
Those three boxes had a combined value of about S$646.
By the time Airport Police Division officers established the man’s identity, he had already left Singapore.
He allegedly struck again during a transit stop
The man allegedly returned to Changi Airport several months later.
On April 26, 2026, at about 7.05am, he was reportedly transiting through the airport when he allegedly stole two more boxes of perfume from separate retail outlets.
The two items were valued at S$236.90 and S$195.40 respectively.
According to police, the alleged thefts took place within just six minutes, between about 7.15am and 7.21am.
He then departed Singapore on his connecting flight.
Across the two visits, police said the man allegedly stole six boxes of perfume worth more than S$1,400.
The six boxes were from three Chanel perfume series.
Police waited for his next return
Although the suspect had left Singapore after both alleged incidents, Airport Police Division officers were able to establish his identity through their investigations.
He was eventually arrested when he returned to Changi Airport on Sept. 25.
Police said the arrest was carried out as part of a planned operation while the man was transiting through the airport.
The case highlights how travellers who allegedly commit offences while passing through Singapore can still be identified and arrested even after leaving the country.
Singapore police have previously warned that offenders should not assume that departing Singapore will allow them to avoid detection.
CCTV played a key role in the investigation
Surveillance footage was central to the investigation.
In the November case, CCTV footage showed the man allegedly removing perfume from a display shelf and leaving without making payment.
Further examination of footage from other airport outlets allegedly linked him to additional thefts.
The Airport Police Division has previously highlighted the role of increasingly sophisticated CCTV systems in helping retailers and police identify suspected shoplifters.
In an earlier Changi Airport case in August, a 37-year-old Australian man was arrested nearly nine months after an alleged perfume theft when he returned to Singapore in transit. A separate 50-year-old American man was also arrested after allegedly stealing perfume from several Terminal 1 shops.
Five theft charges
The American man will face five counts of theft in dwelling.
The offence is prosecuted under Section 380 of Singapore’s Penal Code 1871.
If found guilty, each offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The charges relate to the alleged thefts identified by police during their investigation.
As the matter is before the courts, the allegations have not been proven at this stage.
Airport police warn offenders cannot simply leave
The arrest is the latest example of Singapore authorities pursuing suspected shop theft cases at Changi Airport even when the alleged offenders have already left the country.
In August, Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi, Commander of the Airport Police Division, said advances in CCTV technology and its widespread use by retailers have improved the detection of shop theft.
She warned that initially avoiding arrest does not necessarily mean a suspect has escaped accountability.
The latest case reinforces that warning.
The suspect allegedly left Singapore after both earlier incidents, but investigators continued working to establish his identity and track the case.
When he later returned to Changi Airport in September, he was arrested.
Changi Airport remains a closely monitored transit environment
The case also highlights the unusual circumstances surrounding crimes committed inside airport transit areas.
Travellers passing through Changi may spend only a short time in Singapore before continuing to another destination. But being in transit does not place them outside Singapore’s jurisdiction.
Retail outlets in the transit areas are monitored by CCTV, and suspected offences can be investigated after a traveller has already departed.
For the American man, an alleged series of perfume thefts carried out months apart has now resulted in an arrest and impending court proceedings.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 8.
Until the case is heard, he remains only an accused person, and the allegations against him have yet to be determined by the courts.
