Durian Stall Worker Jailed After Stealing S$17,300 From Employer And Losing It At MBS Casino

A 26-year-old durian stall employee has been sentenced to five months in jail after stealing S$17,300 from his employer and subsequently losing the entire amount while gambling at Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

The Malaysian national, identified as Tan An Sheng, admitted to a charge of criminal breach of trust. The offence took place while he was temporarily entrusted with greater responsibilities during the Chinese New Year period.

According to court proceedings, Tan was working at a durian outlet located at Block 154 Bukit Batok Street 11 when he was asked to stand in for his supervisor, who was away on leave. As part of his temporary duties, he was given access to the stall’s safe and entrusted with handling daily cash deposits, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Trusted With Safe Access During Festive Period

For the first time since joining the company, Tan was provided with the passcode to the outlet’s safe. His responsibilities included counting the day’s earnings, recording profits and losses, and securing the cash takings at the end of each business day.

During the period between Feb. 18 and Feb. 22, he was reportedly the only employee with access to the safe’s passcode. Previously, those duties had been carried out solely by his supervisor.

Investigations revealed that Tan took advantage of the trust placed in him and removed cash from the safe on two separate occasions. The first theft involved S$1,000 in S$50 notes, while the second saw him take the remaining S$16,300 stored inside.

Gambling Losses Wiped Out Entire Sum

After taking the money, Tan headed to the casino at Marina Bay Sands. He reportedly hoped to win enough money through gambling to settle outstanding debts owed to moneylenders.

However, his plan quickly unravelled after he lost the entire S$17,300.

The theft was eventually uncovered and Tan later confessed to his employer. The company’s operator said the employee had worked there for approximately eight to nine months and had not previously displayed obvious signs of a gambling addiction.

Borrowed Money From Customers And Neighbours

The employer initially considered allowing Tan to repay the stolen amount through deductions from his salary. He managed to return slightly more than S$2,200 before allegedly falling back into gambling-related behaviour.

According to reports, Tan began borrowing money from customers as well as nearby stallholders. Numerous individuals later approached the durian stall seeking repayment, with some claiming they had lent him hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Several business owners in the area said Tan appeared trustworthy and often cited urgent financial problems when requesting loans. Some only discovered the extent of his borrowing after learning about his arrest.

During sentencing, Tan expressed remorse for his actions and apologised to his employer, supervisors and colleagues. He acknowledged the damage caused to the company’s reputation and appealed for leniency, but was ultimately sentenced to five months’ imprisonment.