Tourist couple caught on CCTV allegedly shoplifting at Bussorah Street: ‘Disgraceful, disgusting, cheapskate’
A video of a tourist couple allegedly shoplifting at a fragrance store in Bussorah Street has gone viral, with netizens calling for them to be brought to justice.
The video of the incident, which took place on Oct 6 at about 2.30pm, was shared by a member of the staff of the unnamed store on Instagram page @sgfollowsall and Facebook page Singapore Incidents the next day.
The caption on the Instagram post says, “SHOP THEFT ALERT!!” and warned shop owners and businesses to be vigilant, adding that the shop’s boss had made a police report of the couple’s alleged theft.
“These two came into our shop and purchased some of our shop items, but two perfume bottles were taken from our display. The lady tried to pay in USD, which my colleague rejected and she was not happy about it and kept asking why she couldn’t accept it in USD,” the caption says.
It also explains that the colleague discovered that the items were missing only after the two visitors had left the store.
The video, recorded by the shop’s CCTV, shows the couple browsing for fragrances together, before the woman is seen unattended. She picks up a bottle and casually slips it into her handbag.
An in-screen caption says that although the items allegedly stolen were not expensive, such behaviour should not be normalised.
“It’s about principle, respect and doing the right thing,” the caption says.
The identical video shared on Facebook had a simpler caption: “How to catch a tourist thief at Bussorah Street.”
The video on Instagram has so far garnered more than 161,000 views and 165 comments, while the Facebook post has racked up 47,000 views, 310 reactions and 71 comments.
‘Got money to travel...but no money to buy’
Several netizens called for the arrest of the couple.
“Please arrest them,” said an Instagram user.
“Yes, please let the police know. Or else how can we change their bad habits. Our duty is to help people change for the better,” another said.
Others were appalled by the couple’s behaviour.
“Disgraceful disgusting cheapskate,” said a netizen on Instagram.
Another commented: “People work hard for those items for your purchase, please respect their efforts! Very low civic sense.”
There were those who felt they should not have travelled if they had to steal.
“Businesses are out here trying to stay afloat, and then you have these two thinking everything should be free. If paying for things is such a burden, perhaps staying home would be a better option,” said an Instagram user.
“Got money to travel...but no money to buy..so steal ahh....one kind,” said a Facebook user.
There were xenophobic comments, too, as netizens wondered where the tourists were from.
One Facebook user, however, wasn’t interested in their country of origin, but did not want them back: “Ban her from ever entering Singapore again in future. Our country does not need criminals, even if it’s considered a small theft.”
Stomp has reached out to the police for comment.
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