A 56-year-old Singaporean man suspected to have robbed a Western Union branch in Ubi at knifepoint has been arrested, the Singapore Police Force announced on Friday (Aug 4).
The police said despite an initial lack of leads, officers were able to establish the suspect’s identity, and arrested him on Thursday at 10.35pm along Pasir Ris Drive 6.
The robbery took place at the Western Union branch at Block 301 Ubi Avenue 1 on Tuesday morning.
According to the police, the suspect entered the remittance outlet wearing a helmet and mask, and armed with a knife. He ordered the staff not to shout and demanded money, then fled with about S$4,000.
However, in the process of fleeing, he dropped about S$3,000, which was recovered at the back of the Western Union outlet by staff and members of the public.
The suspect eventually fled on a bicycle with S$1,071 in a bag. By the time the police arrested him on Thursday night, the suspect claimed to have spent most of the money, including S$24 on 4D tickets. The police are investigating his claims.
He also allegedly threw away the helmet and knife used in the robbery, the police said.
He will be charged in court for armed robbery on Saturday. If convicted, he faces between two and 10 years in jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Tan Tin Wee, who is the commander of Bedok police division, said he is proud of his officers who worked hard to establish the identity of the suspect.
“They have worked long and hard over three days to trace the suspect’s movements, establish his identity and subsequently bring him to justice,” AC Tan said. “The police do not tolerate such brazen acts and we will spare no effort to hunt down these offenders to ensure they face the full brunt of the law.”
This was the second armed robbery in Singapore in as many days. On Monday, a man robbed a Shell petrol station at knifepoint in broad daylight and made off with nearly S$1,200. A 48-year-old suspect has since been arrested and charged.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
