Changi Airport officer who stole S$650 from foreigners says he did it because of money troubles at home

SINGAPORE: An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer at Changi Airport who stole S$650 from several foreigners who were about to leave Singapore received a jail sentence of 14 months on Monday (Aug 26).

Thirty-six-year-old Muhammad Fadhil Mohamed Salleh pleaded guilty to three theft charges involving S$550. Two additional charges for the remainder of what was stolen were also considered at his sentencing.

He has yet to make restitution for the thievery and was suspended from his job on Oct 12, 2023. Fadhil claimed that he had been having money troubles at home, giving this as the reason why he committed his offences, The Straits Times reported.

A total of five foreigners were targeted by Fadhil. They did not realize they had been stolen from them until they left Singapore. Moreover, the effect on Singapore’s reputation as one of the consequences of Fadhil’s actions was pointed out by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Chia

“Singapore has long been internationally recognized as a country that is safe and comfortable for travellers. It boasts the second-best airport in the world,” said DPP Chia.

“It is impossible to maintain such a reputation if its own immigration officers, tasked to protect its borders, offend against foreigners visiting its shores,” he added.

In three of his offences, Fadhil had stolen S$50 from a man from Vanuatu, S$100 from another woman from Vietnam, and S$400 from a woman from Thailand. He hid their money in his hands and tucked it into his pockets.

The woman from Thailand later complained on the ICA website that an officer had stolen money from her, which caused an investigation to be launched.

He is expected to start serving his sentence on Sept 9.

While netizens commenting on ST’s story condemned his illegal acts, many commented on the paltriness of the amounts he stole and the high price he had to pay for the thefts.

“If travellers are not safe from even its (law enforcement officers), who are they safe from?” ST quotes DPP Chia, who had asked for a 15-month jail sentence, as saying.

Some pointed out that Fadhil sacrificed his freedom, let alone his career, for just a few hundred dollars, while others echoed the prosecution’s concerns over Singapore’s reputation.

However, one netizen noted, “On the other side, it shows we are having an impartial system to rectify such issues instead of sweeping such cases under (the) carpet.” /TISG

Read also: Travellers say Changi Airport is one of their favourites in the world because it “always kept its high standards”