- Illustrative photo.
SINGAPORE: Dental floss, abalone, milk powder, Loewe jewellery and Labubu plush toys were among the items that seven individuals allegedly stole and were taken to court for on Wednesday (Jan 15).
In one case, a teen allegedly stole items on at least 55 occasions from two different Sheng Siong outlets over a span of four months.
On Jan 15, the teen, 18, was handed two amalgamated charges of theft in dwelling.
He cannot be named as he committed several of these acts while he was 17 years old. Those below 18 are protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.
According to charge sheets, the teen allegedly committed theft of 147 items, valued at S$230.65, at a Sheng Siong outlet in Ang Mo Kio in 2024.
The items he was said to have stolen included Haribo gummies, Meiji chocolate, Mentos mints and bottles of Pokka green tea.
He was also charged with stealing items worth $19.26 at a Sheng Siong outlet in Serangoon North. These items included a pack of Khong Guan Biscuits and a packet of Jagabee Potato Sticks.
He is expected to plead guilty to his offences on Feb 4.
The teen’s case is among seven cases that were dealt in court on Jan 15 for theft in dwelling offences.
Johari Ahmad, 63, was handed three theft in dwelling charges for allegedly stealing an umbrella at Don Don Donki, among other items.
Phoh Lai Seng @ Cheo Choon Huat, 60, was also handed three similar charges, all of which involved Phoh allegedly stealing canned abalone.
In a separate case, Muhammad Helmy Kamid, 34, was charged with stealing milk powder and diapers on several occasions at various supermarkets.
A 22-year-old man, Zhou Yucheng, was also charged with stealing multiple toys at Plaza Singapura, including a Labubu plush valued at $280 and a Skull Panda figurine worth $288.
Lee Yuan Ying, 28, was handed three theft in dwelling charges for allegedly stealing items like dental floss and a tongue cleaner from Hands at Great World City and gummies at Marks & Spencer at the same mall.
Separately, Jin Xiawei, 32, is accused of stealing a pair of earrings worth $1,150 and a silver ring valued at $890 from luxury brand Loewe at Ion Orchard.
The offence of theft in dwelling carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
With Chinese New Year approaching and shoplifting cases rising, the police said on Jan 15 that they are increasing shop theft prevention efforts through their Shop Theft Awareness for Retailers (Star) programme.
The programme sees retailers working with police officers on ways to improve their anti-shoplifting measures.
Shop theft cases increased from 1,849 in the first half of 2023 to 2,027 in the same period in 2024, a jump of 178 cases.
It was the most common physical crime in the first six months of 2024, with more than half of these cases involving stolen items worth less than $50. - The Straits Times/ANN
