Elderly expat caught shoplifting at UAE mall, jailed

Sharjah - She stashed makeup products and perfume in her bag and tried sneaking out of the shop.

A woman in her late 60s has been sentenced to three months in jail for shoplifting at a mall in Sharjah. The emirate's misdemeanour court also ordered her deportation after the imprisonment.
A large quantity of makeup brushes and tools, as well as two bottles of perfume, were among those the senior woman had stolen, investigations showed.
She entered a makeup and perfume store in one of the malls in Sharjah and started wandering inside, looking at the products on the shelves.
When the storekeeper got busy with another customer, the accused stashed makeup products and perfume in her bag and tried sneaking out of the shop, according to the records of the public prosecution.
However, as she was heading out, the security alarms were activated, drawing the attention of the sales staff.
The storekeeper then searched her belongings, found the stolen products, and asked whether she had forgotted to pay. The woman then pushed her away and tried to run but she was blocked by the mall's security staff.
Although the defendant denied the accusation, footage from the CCTV camera confirmed the incident.
She later admitted to the crime. In her defence, she said she was a rich businesswoman who owned commercial outlets but she was suffering from kleptomania, the recurrent inability to resist urges to steal items. She added she tried getting rid of the habit for years but couldn't stop it.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah