On June 16, 2025, two Indian nationals, Garg Prasha and Goenka Simran, were sentenced for theft offences committed while transiting through Singapore’s Changi Airport after arriving from Kolkata, India, on June 2, 2025.
Both individuals were scheduled for a connecting flight to Bali and were in transit at Changi Airport, where they separately committed thefts at airport retail stores located in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
At approximately 7:00 a.m., 30-year-old Garg Prasha entered the Charles & Keith store at Terminal 2. While browsing, she spotted a black haversack on display, took the bag, and placed it into her luggage trolley. Without making payment, she exited the store. An alert store employee witnessed the incident and immediately lodged a police report.
Garg was swiftly apprehended by the Singapore Police Force. The stolen item, a black haversack valued at more than S$80, was recovered in its original condition. On June 16, 2025, she appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to one count of theft. Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan sentenced her to a fine of S$700. The judge noted that the offence was committed less than an hour after she arrived in Singapore and emphasised that the bag being recovered was the only mitigating factor.
Separately, 29-year-old Goenka Simran also arrived in Singapore from Kolkata on June 2 and was waiting in transit at Terminal 3 for her flight to Bali. At around 1:40 p.m. that same day, she entered the Furla retail outlet and noticed a yellow purse displayed for sale. She took the purse, valued at over S$300, and placed it in her luggage trolley before exiting the shop without paying.
Later investigations also revealed that Goenka had stolen a bottle of perfume from a cosmetics store located in Terminal 2. The perfume was valued at over S$200. In total, she stole items worth more than S$500 during her approximately 10-hour transit period at the airport.
Goenka was arrested shortly after the thefts. On June 16, she was sentenced to eight days’ jail after pleading guilty to one count of theft in dwelling. A second similar charge was taken into consideration during sentencing. The court heard that she would likely have escaped with the stolen items if not for the swift actions of the airport’s security personnel and retail staff.
Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan remarked that Goenka had exploited her short layover to commit multiple thefts and that recovery of stolen items would have been extremely difficult had she left Singapore undetected.
The prosecution clarified that while Garg and Goenka knew each other and arrived on the same flight from Kolkata, there was no indication that they acted as part of a coordinated syndicate.
Under Singapore’s Penal Code, the offence of theft is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both. Theft in dwelling carries a harsher penalty, with a maximum jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
Both cases underscore the strict enforcement and vigilant security measures at Changi Airport. Authorities reiterated that transit passengers are subject to the same laws as local residents and that any unlawful behaviour will be dealt with seriously.
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