Italian Olympic swimmers who shoplifted at Changi Airport released with warning after embassy's intervention

Two Italian swimmers were briefly detained in Singapore after they were caught on CCTV cameras shoplifting in Changi Airport.

With intervention from the Italian embassy, the women were released after about a week.

Chiara Tarantino and Benedetta Pilato, who both competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, were in Singapore to take part in the World Aquatics Championships.

Pilato, 20, won a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke at the championships, while Tarantino, 22, swam in a relay race.

After the championships ended on Aug. 3, they went on a vacation in Bali before returning to Singapore for their flight back to Italy, AP reported.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Tarantino and Pilato were stopped by Changi Airport authorities on Aug. 14 for taking three bottles of perfume from a duty-free shop without paying before their flight.

CCTV footage showed Tarantino placing the items inside Pilato's suitcase.

The authorities searched the bags of both women, then brought them handcuffed to a police station, where they spent a night.

Diplomatic intervention

The night of Tarantino and Pilato's detainment, a fellow teammate who was also with them in the country contacted the Italian embassy in Singapore, Gazzetta dello Sport reported.

With the assistance of a diplomat, the women were released and taken to a hotel, which they were not allowed to leave.

Their passports were also taken as they awaited trial.

Eventually on Aug. 19, they received a warning from the judge, and were allowed to return to Italy on Aug. 20, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Response from the Italian Swimming Federation

In a statement, the Italian Swimming Federation affirmed that the swimmers received support from the Italian embassy, as reported by SwimSwam magazine.

The Federation emphasised that the incident occurred during a vacation period, outside of federal-sanctioned activities.

While condemning the incident, the Federation added that it "reserves the right to carefully evaluate the matter".

It will soon open an investigation and refer the case to the federal court if any action is deemed necessary, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Response from Pilato

On Aug. 29, Pilato took to Instagram to respond to the incident.

She highlighted that she "collaborated with local authorities from the very beginning", and "the incident ended within a few hours, without any implications, thanks to [her] maximum transparency with the Singapore airport authorities", as translated by AP.

Tarantino has deactivated her social media accounts following the incident, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

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Top images from Pilato's Instagram and Fabio Cetti