A dispute over a car rental agreement allegedly escalated into an abduction involving a parang in the early hours of Tuesday (4 August), ending with a police pursuit, a crash into a lamppost and the arrest of four suspects.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said two men and two women, aged between 30 and 38, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the incident, which took place at a car park along Canberra Street.
Victim Allegedly Forced Into His Own Car
According to police, officers were alerted to the case at about 1.55am after reports that a man had been threatened by a group armed with a parang.
Preliminary investigations found that the confrontation allegedly stemmed from a dispute over a car rental agreement.
Police said a 38-year-old man allegedly brandished a parang and threatened the victim before forcing him to sit in the front passenger seat of his own vehicle.
The victim was then allegedly driven to another location, with the 38-year-old suspect behind the wheel and a 36-year-old man seated in the rear of the vehicle.
Police Chase Ends After Car Crashes Into Lamppost
Acting on information received, officers from Woodlands Police Division managed to locate the victim’s vehicle.
However, upon spotting the police, the driver allegedly sped off with the victim still inside, triggering a pursuit.
The chase came to an end when the vehicle crashed into a lamppost at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 7 and Woodlands Avenue 10.
Following the collision, the 36-year-old suspect allegedly fled on foot, while the 38-year-old driver was arrested at the scene.
Police also recovered a parang from his possession.
Two Women Also Arrested
Following further investigations, officers arrested the second male suspect along with two women, aged 30 and 38, in separate operations.
Investigations into their respective roles in the incident are ongoing.
Suspect To Be Charged
The 38-year-old man is expected to be charged in court on 5 August with:
- Abduction under Section 362 of the Penal Code.
- Possession of a Scheduled Weapon under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act.
If convicted of abduction, he could face up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.
The offence of possessing a scheduled weapon carries a jail term of up to five years, mandatory caning of at least six strokes, a fine of up to S$2,500, or a combination of these penalties.
Police investigations against the remaining three suspects are ongoing.