Facial recognition used to identify and arrest wine shoplifter in Singapore supermarket
Catherine Tan stole 19 bottles of wine from a Sheng Siong supermarket in Singapore across multiple occasions in September 2025. The store's facial recognition system identified her from security footage and alerted staff when she returned, leading to her arrest and an eight-day jail sentence.
What happened
Catherine Tan Li Eng stole 19 bottles of Jacob's Creek wine over seven occasions in September 2025 from a Sheng Siong outlet in Punggol Central, with a total value of over S$550. After staff discovered missing bottles during an inventory check on September 10, they reviewed security footage and flagged Tan's face in the store's facial recognition system, which automatically identified the other instances when she had stolen wine. When Tan returned to the store on September 11, a store manager received an alert and intercepted her at the self-checkout kiosk, finding three more stolen bottles in her bags. Police were called and she was arrested.
Reported impact
Tan was sentenced to eight days' jail on May 12, 2026, after pleading guilty to an amalgamated charge for theft. She made full restitution for the stolen bottles.
Index analysis
Sheng Siong had been using the facial recognition technology since April 2024. The system automatically prompted store managers should Tan visit any Sheng Siong outlet again.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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