Law & Justice

Tourist Couple Accused of Shoplifting at Bussorah Street Fragrance Store

By Ivan Lim

A video posted by staff of an unnamed fragrance shop on Instagram and Facebook shows a tourist couple allegedly shoplifting two perfume bottles on 6 October at about 2.30 pm. The staff member who shared the footage, who posted on the Instagram account @sgfollowsall and the Facebook page Singapore Incidents, captioned the clip “SHOP THEFT ALERT!!” and warned shop owners to be vigilant. The caption also noted that the shop’s owner had filed a police report. It states that the couple entered the shop, purchased some items, but two perfume bottles were taken from the display. The woman tried to pay in U.S. dollars, which the staff member rejected, and she complained about the refusal. The staff member discovered the missing items only after the couple had left.

The CCTV footage shows the couple browsing fragrances together, then the woman picks up a bottle and slips it into her handbag while unattended. An on‑screen caption in the video says that although the items were not expensive, such behaviour should not be normalised and emphasizes principle, respect and doing the right thing.

The Instagram post has received more than 161,000 views and 165 comments, while the Facebook post has 47,000 views, 310 reactions and 71 comments. Many netizens called for the couple’s arrest and urged authorities to intervene. Some comments described the couple’s actions as “disgraceful, disgusting, cheapskate” and criticized their lack of civic sense. Other comments suggested that the tourists should not have travelled if they intended to steal.

A few comments expressed xenophobic sentiments, questioning the tourists’ country of origin, while one Facebook user demanded that the woman be banned from entering Singapore again.

In response to inquiries, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.