SINGAPORE, March 6 — A foreign couple have been charged in Singapore after allegedly staging a fake snatch-theft report to avoid paying Sri Lankan customs duties on gold jewellery they had bought in the city-state.

According to The Straits Times, Hewa Sahabanduge Waruna Kanishka, 30, and his wife Jayasekara Gamlath Ralalage Yehelichathurika, 29, appeared in the State Courts yesterday over their suspected roles in obstructing justice with common intention.

Hewa, a Japanese national, also faces a separate charge for allegedly giving false information to police.

The pair asked to be allowed to contact the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore for legal assistance.

Court papers showed that Hewa lodged a police report on March 4 claiming he had been the victim of a snatch theft along Queen Street near Bugis.

He told police an unknown man had grabbed his black sling bag containing gold jewellery, a mobile phone and S$400 (RM1,240) in cash, reporting total losses of S$21,668.

In a statement on March 5, police said significant resources were deployed to investigate the alleged theft due to the seriousness of the report.

However, follow-up inquiries uncovered inconsistencies in Hewa’s account. 

He later admitted the report had been fabricated in a bid to avoid paying overseas customs tax.

Investigators said Jayasekara had allegedly helped hide the gold jewellery inside a bottle placed in her haversack.

It was reported that the couple had purchased more than S$20,000 worth of gold in Singapore and intended to return to Sri Lanka, but allegedly planned to claim the jewellery had been stolen to avoid paying duties there.

The case has been scheduled for a pre-trial conference on March 19.

Those convicted of obstructing justice can face up to seven years’ jail, a fine, or both. 

Providing false information to a public servant carries a penalty of up to two years’ jail, a fine, or both.