SINGAPORE - Two more foreign students involved in a conspiracy to shoplift over $1,700 worth of Uniqlo apparel were jailed on Dec 1.
Indian nationals Brahmbhatt Komal Chetankumar and Christian Arpita Arvindbhai, both 27, at first claimed in a previous court mention that they had no intention to steal.
But the two women eventually pleaded guilty to shoplifting offences and were sentenced to 40 and 45 days’ jail respectively.
District Judge Eugene Teo called their acts “disgraceful” and told them not to commit such offences again.
Komal and Arpita were on student passes in Singapore and lived together in the same flat with four other foreigners. Along with other individuals, the group conspired to steal Uniqlo apparel together.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Maximilian Chew told the court previously that one of the shoplifting incidents happened on Oct 12 at the Uniqlo outlet in Orchard Central.
Three other Indian nationals, identified in court documents as Bhavik, 24, Vishal, 23, and Darshan, 22, were also in on the conspiracy. Bhavik and Vishal planned to steal from the outlet and roped the rest into the plan.
The group went to the store at around 6pm that day. After picking out the apparel, they removed price tags containing radio-frequency identification (RFID), which could set off the store’s security alarm.
They then bought tote bags at the self-checkout area, stuffed the apparel into the bags, and pretended they had paid for all of their items. The group left at around 7.30pm. They stole 64 pieces of apparel worth $1,788 in total.
The authorities were alerted to the conspiracy when a second group – including some members of the first group – attempted to steal $2,271 worth of clothes from the same outlet days later.
The second group failed in their attempt after a store security officer had noticed their suspicious behaviour. The police arrested members of the group after trawling through CCTV camera footage. By then, Bhavik, Vishal and Darshan had left Singapore.
Komal and Arpita, who have been remanded since their arrest, attended the court hearing on Dec 1 via video link. They were represented by Ms Lim Lei Theng of Allen & Gledhill under the Enhanced Guidance for Plea Scheme.
Ms Lim said the two women were looking forward to returning home and asked if Judge Teo could write a note to the prison authorities permitting them to call their mothers.
Four others in the group – Shihora Ridham Mukeshbhai, 20, Hun Smit Ashokbhai, 21, Kuvadiya Milan Ghansyambhai, 26, and Chauhan Ruchi Sanjaykumar, 25 – were sentenced to between 40 and 65 days’ jail on Nov 22.
