The Police have arrested three men and a woman aged between 21 and 55 for their suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases involving the pawning of fake gold jewellery.
On 12 March 2016, Police received a report regarding a case of cheating involving the pawning of fake gold jewellery. Upon the receipt of report, officers from Central Division conducted extensive ground operations and managed to swiftly establish the suspects involved in the scam. On 14 March 2016 at 9.00pm, in an ambush operation, the officers arrested a 33-year-old man in Eunos. Through follow-up investigations, the three other suspects were arrested on the same day in Eunos, Outram and Jurong.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the 33-year-old man had produced the fake jewellery at home by substituting some parts with real gold, with the aid of improvised tools. These fake gold jewellery were then pawned as genuine ones in return for cash. The suspect is also believed to have advertised the fake gold jewellery online and sold it to unsuspecting victims. In addition to this, the suspect is believed to have advertised and sold pawn tickets online. These suspects are believed to be involved in at least 22 cases of cheating amounting to about $55,000 since February 2016.
The four suspects will be charged in court on 16 March 2016 for cheating, which carries a maximum jail term of up to 10 years.
The Police would like to advise pawnshop owners to be vigilant against a similar ruse and to check and verify the identities of individuals who pawn items at their premises, as well as their guarantors, before parting with their money. Where possible, pawnshop owners are also encouraged to carry out detailed examination of the pawned items. Online shoppers are also advised to exercise caution when purchasing merchandise purportedly to be authentic.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
15 March 2016 @ 9:45 PM