A delivery driver of Indian origin was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Monday for stealing meat products valued at over SGD 170,000 while employed by a wholesale distributor. Sivam Karuppan (42) reportedly sold the stolen meat to a customer and kept the profits for himself and a colleague working with the distributor.
His colleague’s case is pending in court. The nationality of the duo was not disclosed in the report. Karuppan’s co-accused, also of Indian descent, is Neshan Gunasundram (27), who worked as a warehouse supervisor for the company. Gunasundram’s responsibilities included overseeing the movement of goods in and out of the warehouse and instructing other workers on the accurate quantities of meat products for loading and delivery to customers.
In 2021, Karuppan engaged in casual conversation with a staff member of one of the company’s customers, GV Meat Distributor, around May. The individual then inquired if Karuppan had surplus meat available at a discounted rate. He proposed paying Karuppan directly for the meat. Subsequently, they conspired to steal meat products from the company and sell them directly to the customer, sharing the profits.
According to court proceedings, between Jan 4 and July 15, 2022, Karuppan communicated with the customer on 34 occasions to determine the required quantity of meat. Karuppan then relayed this information to Gunasundram.
Upon receiving orders from the customer, Gunasundram purportedly instructed other workers to load Karuppan’s delivery truck with the specified quantities, along with additional meat products ordered directly through Karuppan. Court documents indicate that Karuppan and Gunasundram allegedly stole meat products totalling SGD 170,059.77.
On July 23, 2022, the company’s operations and logistics manager Eddie Loh filed a police report against them following internal investigations. Loh had become aware of rumours regarding stolen meat products from the warehouse due to discrepancies between customer orders and actual deliveries.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ronnie Ang requested a prison term of 32 to 38 months for Karuppan’s crimes, citing his betrayal of trust towards his employer. DPP Ang emphasized the significant value of the stolen meat products and the prolonged duration of the offense.
Defense attorney Foo Ho Chew from HC Law Practice mentioned Karuppan’s challenging living circumstances, including sleeping at bus stops and void decks. Karuppan faced a potential maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine for committing theft as an employee.
