The Police have arrested two men, aged 36 and 70, for their suspected involvement in a case of theft in dwelling.
On 2 December 2022 at 7.49pm, the Police received a report on a case of theft at a money changer along Serangoon Road, involving losses purportedly amounting to USD 25,000 and EUR 70,000. Preliminary investigations revealed that two men purportedly approached the money changer on the pretext of exchanging Singapore Dollars (SGD) to EURO (EUR) and United States Dollars (USD). When presented with USD $25,000 and EUR 70,000 (equivalent to approximately SGD 134,000 in total), one of the men placed the money into a bag with a number lock attached, and left the bag at the money changer on the pretext of going to withdraw SGD to complete the currency exchange transaction.
Upon returning, the men requested for the money changer to verify the said amounts of USD $25,000 and EUR 70,000. During the process, the men allegedly swapped the genuine notes with counterfeit notes. The men then left the money changer with the bag containing the genuine notes, stating that they would return to complete the currency exchange transaction.
When the two men did not return after a few hours, the money changer opened the black bag and discovered that only one EUR 200 note, one EUR 500 note, and one US$100 note were genuine. The other notes beneath were purportedly counterfeit notes.
Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTV footages, officers from Central Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre established the identities of the two men on the same day. Both men had left Singapore on the same day of the reported incident.
With strong cooperation and assistance rendered by the Royal Malaysian Police, the two men were arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 26 July 2023, pursuant to warrants of arrest issued by the State Courts on 3 December 2022. The men were handed over to the Singapore Police Force on 27 July 2023.
Both men will be charged in court on 28 July 2023 with abetment to commit theft in dwelling under Section 380 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of theft in dwelling carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.
The Police would like to alert all money exchangers to be vigilant against similar modus operandi and guard such theft involving sleight of hand.
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SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
27 July 2023 @ 10:40 PM