Another Indian woman caught shoplifting at Target store in US. 'She's a regular here,' say staff. Video

In the viral video, the woman is seen gasping for breath throughout the interrogation, prompting officers to ask if she needs medical help. (Image credit: Police Release/YouTube)

An Indian woman has been caught red-handed for shoplifting at a Target store in the US. Bodycam footage of the police officer arresting her, which allegedly dates back to January this year, is now viral, and it shows the woman crying and hyperventilating as she is questioned by police officers inside the store. This comes after another Indian woman went viral and made headlines after she was caught shoplifting items worth more than Rs 1 lakh from a Target store in Illinois in July.

In the recent video, posted by a YouTube channel, the woman is seen apologising repeatedly and promising not to repeat the act. She gasps for breath throughout the interrogation, prompting officers to ask if she needs medical help. When asked whether English is her first language, she says her native language is Gujarati, spoken in India. She declines the offer of an interpreter.

The footage also shows a Target staff member presenting CCTV evidence to the police, which captures the woman walking past the store exit with a cart full of unpaid items. “So she just put everything in the cart and then just walked past…” one officer says, to which the staff member replies, “Just walked straight out.”

‘She’s a regular here’: staff confirms prior visits

During the investigation, one of the store employees tells the police that the woman is a regular visitor. When asked if she had been caught before, the staffer replies, “No, this is the first time that anyone’s approached her.” The woman later admits that she intended to resell some of the items she had taken. Police informed her that she would be let off after questioning, but would have to appear in court in connection with the case. She also stated that she holds a driver’s licence issued in Washington.

Second incident in three months; US Embassy issues advisory

After the shoplifting incident in July, the US Embassy in India issued a public advisory warning visa holders against criminal activity. In a post on X, the embassy stated: “Committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won’t just cause you legal issues – it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future US visas.”

The advisory added that the United States values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all local laws.

Read more: ‘People going abroad…’: MEA reacts to Indian woman ‘shoplifting’ from US store