A 35-year-old Australian woman has been fined $750 after pleading guilty to stealing a bottle of Chanel perfume worth nearly $250 from a duty-free store at Changi Airport two years ago. The incident, which took place on March 22, 2023, led to her detention when she returned to Singapore on March 31, 2025, as reported by The Straits Times.
Details of the theft
Raj Varsha, who arrived in Singapore with her family following a flight from Australia, entered The Shilla Duty Free store at Terminal 1 departure transit area around 4:10am on March 22, 2023. According to State Prosecuting Officer (SPO) Zakir Hussain, she took the bottle of Chanel perfume and concealed it in her bag.
When a security officer noticed the missing bottle, they promptly alerted the store's employees. SPO Zakir added: “The accused, upon realising that the theft had been discovered, immediately left the Shilla store without paying for the said bottle of perfume. At 9:10am, she departed to Thailand with her family.”
CCTV footage leads to arrest
A store supervisor reviewed CCTV footage and alerted the Airport Police Division. Despite the passage of time, Raj was detained upon her return to Singapore two years later. She admitted to the offence and revealed she had given the stolen perfume to her mother as a gift.
Apology and restitution
Appearing before District Judge A. Sangeetha on April 11, Raj, who was not represented by a lawyer, wept as she apologised for her actions. “I take full responsibility for what I have done and I’m very sorry. I’ve never had any issues with the law before... I wasn’t thinking straight and was not in the right frame of mind,” she said tearfully.
{{/usCountry}}Appearing before District Judge A. Sangeetha on April 11, Raj, who was not represented by a lawyer, wept as she apologised for her actions. “I take full responsibility for what I have done and I’m very sorry. I’ve never had any issues with the law before... I wasn’t thinking straight and was not in the right frame of mind,” she said tearfully.
{{/usCountry}}Raj has since made full restitution to the store for the stolen item.
Under Singaporean law, those convicted of theft can face up to three years in prison and a fine.