Singapore, Nov 22 (IANS): Four Indian students were sentenced to jail in Singapore on Wednesday for conspiring to steal apparel over SG$1,700 (over Rs one lakh) from a retail store by removing the items' price tags.
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 in jail, The Straits Times newspaper reported. Mukeshbhai was dealt the heaviest sentence after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft in dwelling and another count of attempting to commit a similar crime.
The other three admitted to one count of theft in dwelling or attempted theft each.
The four shoplifters, who were on student passes in Singapore, studied at different schools but lived together in the same flat. They stole the items by removing the price tags which contained radio-frequency identification (RFID). 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.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Maximilian Chew told the court that one of the shoplifting incidents happened on October 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.
The group went to the store at around 6 p.m. and stole 64 pieces of apparel worth SG$1,788 in total.
Following this, they again went to the outlet four days later along with three other Indian nationals -- Shivam, 27, Jay, 26, and Mili, 27.
Mukeshbhai and Sanjaykumar, along with Bhavik and three other Indian nationals – Shivam, 27; Jay, 26, and Mili, 27 – went to the same Uniqlo outlet four days later to steal, but left hurriedly after a store security officer noticed them and asked for a receipt as proof of payment.
After a sales assistant lodged a complaint, police arrested four of them with the help of closed-circuit television camera footage.
Bhavik, Vishal, Darshan and Mili had already left Singapore.
The four shoplifters, who attended the hearings via video-link while in remand, admitted they were committing an offence, and said that Bhavik was the mastermind. Ghansyambhai and Ashokbhai claimed that Bhavik threatened that if they did not follow his instructions, he would increase their room rental or evict them.