Two airport baggage handlers charged with theft
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 15 September 2011 1331 hrs
SINGAPORE: Two baggage handlers at Changi Airport's Budget Terminal were charged in court on Thursday with stealing jewellery from an aircraft parking bay on January 11.
It's believed 41-year-old Selvakumar Kanniappan and 53-year-old Geyabalan K Ramiah made off with eight gold bangles worth nearly S$4,500 between 9pm and 9.30pm that day.
Court documents stated that the valuables belong to a man known as Thangaraja Viknesh Kumar.
Their colleague, 54-year-old Nagas Arumugam was also charged in court.
He is accused of voluntarily helping dispose of eight gold bangles believed to be stolen property.
But it was not mentioned in court if these items were the same ones that Selvakumar and Geyabalan had allegedly stolen.
Nagas is believed to have disposed of the jewellery at a pawnshop in Rivervale Plaza in Sengkang on January 19.
The trio will be back in court on September 22.
If convicted of theft, Selvakumar and Geyabalan can each be jailed up to three years, fined, or both.
Nagas, on the other hand, can be jailed for up to five years as well as fined, if found guilty of disposing of stolen property.
A police news release had earlier stated that the three men are allegedly involved in a series of jewellery theft cases at the Budget Terminal.
Police added that it's believed the men had targeted bags belonging to departing passengers.
The trio was arrested on Wednesday morning following an operation mounted by the Airport Police.
- CNA/ck
