The Police have arrested two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, for their suspected involvement in a case of loanshark harassment.

On 4 August 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment along Bedok Central, where the shoe rack placed outside a residential unit was toppled and a debtor’s note was left behind. As part of investigations, the debtor’s note was sent for forensic examinations.

Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identities of the men and arrested them on 16 November 2023.

Both men will be charged in court on 20 November 2023 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first-time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000, with imprisonment of up to five years, and caning of up to six strokes.

The Police have zero tolerance against loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance or disruption to public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist them in any way. The public can call the Police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities.

Seventeen motorists, aged 26 to 58 years, will be charged in court on 17 November 2023 for drink driving offences. The seventeen motorists were arrested between January 2023 and October 2023 when they failed the breathalyser tests during routine Police checks. Three of the motorists face additional charges for other traffic offences.

The details of the three cases are as follows:

1. On 28 February 2023, a 54-year-old man collided into a bollard along Bukit Batok West. He was found to have driven his car under the influence of alcohol and will be charged for the offence of drink driving and driving without due care or reasonable consideration under Section 67(1)(b) and Section 65(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 respectively. Refer to Annex A for case photograph.
   
2. On 6 April 2023, a 37-year-old man collided into another car travelling in the same direction along PIE. He was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. He will be charged for drink driving and driving without due care or reasonable consideration under Section 67(1)(b) and Section 65(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 respectively. Refer to Annex B for case photograph.
   
3. On 1 September 2023, a 28-year-old man allegedly left his car in a stationary position along Balmoral Crescent, which caused danger and obstruction to other road users. Investigations revealed that the man had driven his car after consuming alcohol, and subsequently fell asleep behind the wheel. He will be charged for drink driving and leaving a vehicle in a manner causing undue inconvenience to others under Section 67(1)(b) and Section 122 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 respectively

The offence of driving while under the influence of alcohol under Section 67(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a fine of not less than $2,000 and not more than $10,000, or imprisonment for a term up to 12 months, or both. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, the offence carries a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $20,000, and imprisonment for a term up to two years. Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles. 

The offence of driving without due care or reasonable consideration under Section 65(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a fine of up to $1,500, or imprisonment term of up to six months, or both. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, motorists are liable to a fine of up to $3,000, or an imprisonment term of up to 12 months, or both. Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

The offence of leaving a vehicle in a manner causing undue inconvenience to others under Section 122 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a fine of up to $2,000, or an imprisonment term of up to three months, or both. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, motorists are liable to a fine of up to $5,000, or imprisonment term of up to six months, or both.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act. All motorists are reminded to abide by traffic rules to keep the roads safe for everyone. The Traffic Police will not hesitate to take firm action against motorists who choose to flout traffic laws and endanger the safety of other road users.  

On 31 Aug, a seemingly routine visit to an ATM turned into a perplexing ordeal for a 61-year-old man in Yew Tee. In a bizarre turn of events, the man, identified as Mr. Li, withdrew S$500 but unintentionally left the cash at the ATM. What unfolded next was a series of events that baffled both Mr. Li and the authorities, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Forgot to collect his cash at the ATM

The incident occurred on 31 Aug at about 10.03 am at a POSB ATM in Yew Tee, involving a 61-year-old man named Mr. Li.

He went to an ATM and withdrew S$500, but was distracted and left the ATM to go for a smoke without collecting his cash.

About 2 minutes later, he realsied that he had forgotten to collect his money at the ATM and when he went back to the machine, it was too late – someone else had already taken his money.

Li said that the money was from his last drawn salary after quitting his job last month, and he was planning to use the money to repay a debt that he owed to a friend.

Mr. Li promptly notified the bank and sought their help, and the bank then informed him that they would need about 4 days to investigate the situation.

Money taken by a woman wearing mask

After the investigation, the bank confirmed the retrieval of the money by someone, advising Mr. Li to involve the police for further inquiry.

Following the bank’s advice, Mr. Li decided to file a police report, setting the stage for official involvement.

Motivated by the need for clarity, Mr. Li filed a police report, initiating an investigation into the mysterious disappearance.

Surveillance footage identified a woman wearing a face mask as the alleged culprit, but a blind spot of the CCTV complicated the investigation, hindering the police’s ability to identify the suspect.

The police confirmed that they are investigating the incident.

The Police have arrested two men and a male teenager for their suspected involvement in a case of conspiracy to commit robbery.

On 18 November 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of robbery along Punggol Field. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a 33-year-old man, received an offer from a stranger on Telegram to trade crypto tokens for cash. At the stranger’s instructions, the victim met up with a 16-year-old male teenager at Punggol Field to hand over cash amounting to about $81,000. While counting the cash, the 16-year-old teenager allegedly grabbed the bag containing the cash and fled. The victim gave chase and stopped the teenager, who took out a kitchen knife, but dropped it. The teenager was detained with the assistance of two men and one woman, and arrested by the Police. The cash was fully recovered.

Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre established the identities of two other men who were believed to be involved in the case. Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Bedok Police Division arrested a 33-year-old man in the vicinity of Circuit Road. Another 27-year-old man was subsequently arrested along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9. Both men were arrested on the same day of the report.

The 33-year-old man and 16-year-old male teenager will be charged in court on 20 November 2023 with conspiracy to commit robbery, under Section 392 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code. Police investigations against the 27-year-old man are ongoing.

Members of the public are advised not to carry large amounts of cash with them in public. When confronted in a robbery, members of the public should remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for the Police as soon as possible.