Israeli woman charged in Georgia for stealing sunglasses from airport shop
Passenger could face up to three years in prison for the theft; police board Israir plane to arrest her
A Georgian court indicted an Israeli woman on Friday for stealing a pair of sunglasses from an airport duty free shop in the resort town of Batumi.
The woman was detained after boarding an Israir flight to Tel Aviv on Monday. Shortly before her plane was to depart, a duty free shop salesman noticed the suspect allegedly snatching the merchandise worth $135 on a security camera. He then called airport police who boarded the plane and removed the passenger, delaying the flight for nearly two hours in the process.
According to Channel 12 news, the Israeli suspect was transferred to a local police station for questioning, where she confessed to the theft and broke down in tears expressing remorse.
“I really am sorry for what I did. It was a mistake. I’ll pay what is required,” the network quoted her as having told investigators.
However, Georgian law enforcement decided to charge her. The woman is currently being detained at a local hotel and will be brought before a judge next week. She faces a penalty ranging from a fine to as long as three years in prison.