19-year-old woman attempted to rob a taxi driver at knifepoint along Rivervale Drive

Police have arrested a 19-year-old woman who is believed to have attempted to rob a taxi driver at knifepoint along Rivervale Drive. The arrest was made with the assistance of 3 public-spirited youths, who not only managed to detain the suspect, but also recovered the knife from the suspect.

At about 9.50 pm, the culprit boarded the taxi driven by the victim, a 55-year-old woman, along Edgefield Plains and directed her to proceed to Rivervale Mall. As the taxi was travelling along Rivervale Drive, the suspect took out a knife and demanded money from the victim. Out of fear, the victim abandoned the taxi and dashed away shouting for help.

Upon hearing the victim’s cries for help, three public-spirited youths who were in the vicinity, namely Mr Harry Tan Qing Hui, 18, Ms Janice Tay Jie Xin, 17, and Ms Yow Wei, 17, came to her aid. They ran towards the taxi and prevented the suspect from leaving it and called the Police. Subsequently, they managed to persuade the suspect to hand over the knife.

Shortly after, Police arrived at the scene and placed the culprit under arrest. The knife was seized.

The suspect will be charged in Court for an offence of Attempted Armed Robbery under Section 393 read with Section 397 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum of 7 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.

Man and two female youths arrested for robbing taxi in Cranewell Road

A male, aged 20, and two female youths aged 17 and 14, were arrested after committing armed robbing against a taxi driver along Cranewell Road this morning.

The victim, a 57 year-old taxi driver picked up a male and 2 female passengers along Tampines St 21 and was directed to proceed to Changi Beach Club. Before reaching the destination, one of the female subjects asked the victim to stop along Cranewell Road, saying that she needed to vomit. The 2 girls then alighted from the taxi while the victim waited for them. Moments later, the male passenger suddenly brandished a penknife blade and placed it on the victim’s neck. A struggle ensued and the 2 female subjects joined in to restraint the driver. In the midst of the struggle, the 3 subjects took away cash amounting to $179 from the victim’s shirt pocket and fled the scene on foot.

Upon receiving the information, officers from Bedok Police Division swiftly responded to the scene and commenced a systematic search for the culprits. Their diligent efforts paid off when the officers spotted the trio hiding in the bushes along Netheravon Road at about 6.40am. The 3 suspects were immediately placed under arrest within 4 hours after the incident was reported. The $179 in cash was recovered from the suspects. The penknife blade was also recovered at the scene.

The 3 suspects will has been charged in Court for the offence of Armed Robbery with Hurt under Section 394 read with Section 397 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment and not less than 12 strokes of the cane.

Singapore Police on the lookout for a man who offers to help and steal from Changi Airport travellers

THE police are on the lookout for a man who offers to help Changi Airport travellers with checking in their luggage, only to steal from them or make off with their bags.

The police are on the lookout for a man who offers to help

Changi Airport travellers with checking in their luggage, only

to steal from them or make off with their bags.

 

The man, believed to have been involved in at least two such instances so far, struck in April, once each in Terminals 1 and 2.

The police, releasing a statement and a photograph of the suspect on Saturday, said the man has been linked to at least two cases of cheating-related offences, in which he would approach unsuspecting victims on the pretext of helping them check in their overweight luggage.

The Straits Times understands that he may be a Filipino who homes in on fellow Filipinos under the guise of helping his countrymen.

In one case, he made off with a pouch containing more than $1,500; in the other case, he took a suitcase with personal items valued at $300.

Investigations were launched after reports were made.

Anyone with information on this man is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

HDB/Flat Rental Scam–Police are appealing for information to assist with investigations into a series of flat rental scams

Police are looking for the man shown in the picture to assist with investigations into a series of flat rental scams reported at Blk 1 Lor Lew Lian #06-24.

From 31 Mar 2011 , at least 13 cases of flat rental scams have been reported at Blk 1 Lor Lew Lian #06-24. In all the cases, victims had responded to flat rental advertisements placed in the Chinese newspapers between 4 and 29 Mar 2011 . The suspect would arrange with victims to view the unit, and would collect money ($500 - $4800) from them as deposit for the rental of the unit. The victims were told to move into the unit between 3 and 7 Apr 2011. After collecting the money, the suspect would then become evasive and remain uncontactable.

Police believe that this man in the picture may be able to assist in investigations. His name is Chua Thiam Lye and the description of the man is as follows:

a)	Gender	:	Male Chinese in his 40s
b)	Height	:	About 1.7m tall
c)	Hair	:	Short and black
d)	Build	:	Plump
e)	Other	:	A mole below his lips

Anyone with information on this man is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-2550000. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Crime Prevention Tips – Flat Rental Scam
a)	Seek service from an established estate agent;
b)	Conduct a check against the agent and the company before signing any agreement;
c)	Observe due diligence and carry out verifications of any documents relating to the property;
d)	Visit the flat you wish to rent and ensure that the person you are dealing with is the rightful flat owner. Request documentary proof of flat ownership that bears the flat owner’s name.
e)	Request the flat owner to show you a copy of the approval letter from HDB if you are renting the whole flat
f)	Be careful if asked for an advance payment and do not pay large sums in cash. As proof of payment, you should pay the rental deposit and rents by cheque; and
g)	Do a check with the company to ensure that the estate agent is indeed with the company. If in doubt, request to sign the documents and hand over the deposit at the office.

26-year-old pickpocket arrested in Harbourfront Centre

A SERIAL thief who stole from his victims by slitting their pockets with a razor blade, was caught on Monday.

The 26-year-old man struck mostly in the Ang Mo Kio area, targeting those who were napping in void decks or pavilions within the estate. Using a razor blade, he slit open their pockets and made off with the victims' valuables.

Several of such cases had been reported in February and April.

However, the man was arrested at Harbourfront Centre on Monday, and is currently suspected of being responsible for nine more similar cases in Ang Mo Kio.

He will be charged in court on Wednesday.

Handbag snatcher on a stolen motorcycle arrested

Not even Singapore is safe with this kind of petty crime activity anymore…..

Singapore Police have arrested a 44-year-old man who is believed to be involved in a case of snatch theft using a stolen motorcycle.

A 32-year-old woman was walking along Akyab Road when a man riding a motorcycle suddenly snatched her handbag and sped off.

Through extensive enquiries and follow-up investigation, officers from Tanglin Police Division managed to establish the suspect’s identity and arrested him at his home on 4 April 2011 . Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspect had stolen the motorcycle that was used to commit the snatch theft. The victim’s handbag and the stolen motorcycle were successfully recovered. The suspect is believed to be involved in other similar cases and police investigations are ongoing.

The suspect will be charged in Court on 6 April 2011 for the offences of Snatch Theft and Theft of a Motor Vehicle under Section 356 and Section 379A of the Penal Code respectively. If convicted, the suspect faces a jail term of up to 7 years and caning.

Commander of Tanglin Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Koh Yak Leng advised motorcycle owners to park at well-lit areas, lock their motorcycle before leaving even if it is for a short while, and secure their motorcycle using additional strong locks.

Three Pinoys charge for stealing jewelries in Valuemax Retail Pawnshop

Well, another bad news for the Filipino community in Singapore…..

Valuemax Pawnshop Pte Ltd, 513 Tampines Centra

Police have cracked a jewellery theft syndicate comprising 3 male Filipinos aged 54 to 63 years-old. The trio is believed to have stolen jewellery worth a total of about $120, 000/- from several goldsmith shops and pawnshops.

They are: Balajadia Porfirio Leabres, 54; Valbarez Fidel Iv Martelino, 56 and Banal Eduardo Cruz, 62.

It is believed the trio committed the offence at Valuemax pawnshop at Block 513, Tampines Central 1 at around 3pm on March 26.

In these cases, the trio targeted the shops when they were crowded during the peak hours. The suspects took turns to ask counter staff to show them various pieces of jewellery. While the staff was distracted, one suspect would use his body to block the view of the staff while another took the opportunity to steal jewellery from unsecured display cabinets unnoticed. After committing the theft, the suspects would offer excuses and leave quickly.

Through extensive follow-up investigation, officers from Bedok Police Division managed to establish the identity of the suspects. On 4 April 2011 at about 2pm, Police mounted an operation and arrested the suspects in the vicinity of Geylang Road. Several pieces of jewellery, which are believed to be stolen, were successfully recovered. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are involved in a total of 5 similar cases.

The suspects will be charged in Court for Theft in Dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with a jail term of up to 7 years and a fine.

26 year-old man arrrested in a series of online cheating scams.

Police have arrested a 26 year-old man who is believed to be involved in a series of online cheating scams.

On 22 March 2011 , a 34 year-old man lodged a Police report on his encounter with an online scammer. According to the complainant, he had responded to an online advertisement and befriended a girl. Shortly after, the complainant received an SMS from an unknown person claiming that he was the father of the said girl. The unknown person then accused the complainant of ‘sexually grooming’ his daughter who was underaged and threatened to report the matter to the Police unless the complainant paid him a sum of $3200. Sensing that something was amiss, the complainant decided to report the matter to the Police.

Through extensive follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division managed to establish the suspect’s identity and arrested him at Changi Airport on 24 March 2011 at about 11.00 pm  as he was about to leave Singapore. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is believed to be involved in at least 7 other similar cases where victims were cheated of more than $9,000 in total.

The suspect will be charged in the Court on 26 March 2011 for Cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to 10 years and shall also be liable to be fine.

Mobile phone snatcher caught in Tampines

Singapore Police have arrested a 27 year-old man who is believed to have snatched a woman’s mobile phone at Tampines St 21 this morning.

On 25 March 2011 at about 8.00am, a 27 year-old woman was walking along the void deck of Blk 245 Tampines St 21 when an unknown man came from behind and snatched away her mobile phone which she was holding in her hand.

Following the report, officers from Bedok Police Division conducted follow-up investigations and swiftly established the identity of the suspect. Within 3 hours, the suspect was arrested at a budget hotel in Geylang. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is also believed to be involved in another similar case of snatch theft.

The suspect will be charged in court on 26 March 2011 for snatch theft under Section 356 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which carries a maximum punishment of 7 years imprisonment and caning.

Singapore Police: Appeal for information to a theft at a supermarket in Changi Airport Terminal 1

Have you seen this man?

Singapore Police are looking for the man shown in the photo to assist with investigations into a case of theft at a supermarket located at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on 19 Jan 2011 .

The man is believed to be a male Chinese in his late 30s and was last seen wearing a striped polo-shirt. He was also seen carrying a black haversack and a green paper bag.

Anyone with information on the man is requested to call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Foreign Nationals found hidden in a storage compartment trying to leave Singapore illegally

Officers from the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have caught three Indian nationals for trying to leave Singapore illegally.

They were found hidden in a storage compartment, located behind the driver’s seat of a 40—foot Malaysia—registered prime mover.

The incident happened last Saturday at about 11.40 am.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 29—year—old Malaysian driver was promised $500 for each immigration offender he successfully brings out of the country.

Arrangements were made to pick up the three immigration offenders along Woodlands Road.

The three, aged between 27 and 36, said they had come to Singapore to seek illegal employment.

If convicted, for overstaying or illegal entry, they could be jailed up to six months and given at least three strokes of the cane.

Penalties for illegal departure is a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.

Kallang crime slashings: 2 jailed for gang robbery

Cleaner Sylvester Beragok, 26, was sentenced to 6 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

 

TWO of the seven men arrested for the Kallang slashings were sentenced to six years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Thursday for gang robbery.

Cleaner Sylvester Beragok, 26, and labourer Landa Sulai, 28, both from Sarawak, had originally claimed trial, together with Peter Usit Musa, 22, to the charges.

Sylvester and Landa changed their pleas to guilty, after the court had ruled that their statements to the police were made voluntarily. Peter, however, maintains his innocence and his trial is ongoing.

Sylvester and Landa admitted robbing Chinese national Wang Jiu Sheng, 47, of his $230 mobile phone when one or more of the duo's accomplices had used a parang. The attack took place at a grass path beside the pavement under the MRT track near Lorong 17 Geylang on May 28 2010.

Three of their accomplices, Micheal Garing, 22, Hairee Landak, 21, and Tony Imba, 32, are facing a murder charge each and the matter is still at pre-trial conference stage. In the gang robbery, Mr Wang suffered a deep cut of four fingers on his left hand.

Last October, another East Malaysian, Shahman Milak, 21, was given two years and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane for attempted robbery. The duo could have been jailed for up to 20 years and caned.

Singapore Police advises public on variations of Phone Scams

Scammers are coming up with new and innovative phone scams to convince victims to part with their money. There are many variations to phone scams. The most common ones are the Lottery Scam, Kidnap Scam and Impersonation Scam.

Lottery Scams!
Tricksters may call from overseas, email or SMS the recipients, informing them that they have won prize money in a foreign lottery. The tricksters would request for an advance payment in order to process the claims for prizes.

Kidnap Scams!
Tricksters would claim that the recipient's loved one had been kidnapped and demand that a ransom be transferred to specific bank account. These fake threats are usually accompanied by sounds of cries for help in the background.

Impersonation Scams!
Tricksters would impersonate law enforcement officials, advising victims to remit or transfer money to designated bank accounts in order to exonerate themselves from alleged crimes. These common allegations include failure to appear in court in relation to one's involvement in money laundering and unlicensed money lending cases.

1. The tricksters will impersonate foreign government officials such as the Interpol, Taiwan Police, China Police, etc.
2. The tricksters will ask the victims for their personal information and bank account details for verification purposes. In some occasions, they were able to recite the victim's personal information or bank account number.
3. The tricksters will send pre-recorded voice messages to the victims. The victims will need to press a number before their calls are answered by an operator. To lend credibility to their scams, the number that appeared on the recipient's phone reflects those belonging to local authorities such as:
    
   a. Supreme Court Quality Service Manager/ Enquiry Hotline: 63381034,
   b. CID Hotline: 64350000, or
   c. Police Emergency Hotline: 999
    
   This is commonly known as "Caller ID Spoofing", where advances in technology enable callers to lie about their identity through false numbers.

CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES

Lottery Scam

• Ignore notifications of a win in a lottery or lucky draw when you had not purchased any lottery ticket or participated in any lucky draw.
• Do not make any advance payment to claim any prize money. Winning a lucky draw or lottery does not require you to make any advance payment.
• Do not entertain such SMSes and calls.
• Be wary of get-rich-quick offers. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it is probably a scam.

Kidnap Scam

• If the public receive kidnap scam calls, they should remain calm and try to contact their next-of-kin immediately. Should repeated attempts at contacting their loved-ones fail, they should then contact the police.
• In addition, the public could pose questions to the kidnapper to verify the identity of the purportedly kidnapped victim, for instance, the number of family members staying together or whether there are pets in the house, to help them establish if the call is indeed genuine.

Impersonation Scam

• Ignore any notification calls from unknown persons who claim to be government officials. All notices to attend court hearing would be notified by post or accompanied by an official letter.
• Police or court officials would not ask anyone who is in connection with a criminal case to make any transfer of funds to unknown bank accounts.
• Do not give your personal details such as NRIC and bank account numbers to anyone over telephone or e-mail.

Those who receive such calls may wish to pass on such information to the Police at a Neighbourhood Police Centre.

Filipina Domestic Workers And Singaporean Employers Arrested For Operating Unlicensed Moneylending Business

Acting on information received, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department conducted an operation on 11 January 2011 and busted two separate groups believed to be involved in issuing unlicensed loans to foreign domestic workers. A total of five persons aged between 28 and 69 years old were arrested in the operation.

The first group involved three persons, namely a 69-year-old male Singaporean and two Filipina domestic workers aged 28 and 36 years respectively. This group is suspected to have issued loans to more than 200 other Filipina domestic workers since June 2010.

The second group involved a 47-year-old female Singaporean and a 29-year old Filipina domestic worker. They are believed to have issued loans to about 40 domestic workers since January 2009.

The three Filipina suspects and the female Singaporean will be charged in Court on 13 January 2011 for offences under the Moneylenders Act. Investigations against the remaining suspect are still ongoing.

Under the Moneylenders Act, persons found guilty of operating or assisting in the operating of a loansharking business may be fined not less than $30,000 and up to $300,000 with mandatory imprisonment of up to four years and shall be liable for caning of up to six strokes.

Source: PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Beware: Robbers impersonating as Ministry of Manpower Officer

A passer-by aided the Police in the arrest of three suspects who impersonated public servants to steal from a foreign worker.

On 11 Jan 2011 at about 8pm, the victim, a 28-year-old foreign worker was sitting at the void deck of Blk 666A Jurong West St 65 when three unknown men approached him. One of the men flashed a card and identified himself as a MOM officer stating that he wanted to check the victim’s belongings. The victim handed over his belongings but decided to call for the Police as he sensed that something was amiss. However, the man took away his hand phone and walked away. The victim tried to request for the return of his handphone but was stopped by another man.

At this juncture, the victim approached a 22-year-old passer-by for help. Upon seeing the passer-by call the Police on his phone, the three suspects immediately fled from the scene. Together with the victim, the public-spirited passer-by gave chase and managed to detain one of the suspects after a short chase. Police arrived shortly thereafter and took over custody of the suspect.

Through follow-up investigations, officers from Jurong Police Division managed to establish the identities of the other two suspects. Both suspects were subsequently arrested on 12 Jan 2011 at Jurong West and Woodlands respectively. The victim’s handphone was also successfully recovered. Preliminary investigations revealed that the three suspects are believed to be involved in other similar cases islandwide.

The three suspects, aged 21 to 25, will be charged in the Subordinate Courts on 13 Jan 2011 for offences of Impersonating as a Public Servant under Section 170 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which carries a jail term which may extend to 2 years, or with a fine, or both. In addition, they will also be charged for the offence of Theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which carries a jail term of not more than 3 years and with a fine, or both. A Court Order will be sought to remand the suspects for further investigations.

Commander of Jurong Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Florence Chua, commended the passer-by for his public spiritedness. She added, “The arrest was made possible because of the assistance of the public-spirited individual. This reinforces the importance of a strong Police-community partnership in keeping our neighborhoods safe.”

Members of the public are advised to be wary of such perpetrators and to always verify the identity of persons claiming to be representatives of government agencies by calling the organizations concerned or checking their identification passes. If in doubt, members of the public should contact the Police for assistance immediately.

Singapore Police Arrested a 23-year-old Yishun Taxi Robber

Singapore Police have arrested a 23-year-old man who is believed to be involved in a case of taxi robbery at Yishun Ring Road.

On 6 December 2010 at about 3.20 am, a 48-year-old taxi driver reported that he had been robbed by an unknown man who was armed with a knife. The victim had picked up the suspect as a passenger along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and dropped him off in the vicinity of Blk 414 Yishun Ring Road. Before alighting, the suspect informed the victim that he would return to pay him after withdrawing money from a nearby ATM. However, when the suspect returned, he took out a knife and robbed the victim of cash amounting to S$290/-.

Through extensive follow up investigations and protracted enquiries, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division managed to establish the suspect’s identity. On 11 January 2011 at about 8.00 am , the suspect was arrested in the vicinity of Yishun Ring Road.

The suspect will be charged in Court No. 26 on 13 January 2011 for Armed Robbery under Section 392 read with Section 397 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to 14 years and shall be liable to a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division HQ, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Hsu Sin Yun, commended his officers for their good investigative work. DAC Hsu also advised taxi drivers to be wary of suspicious persons boarding their taxis. When confronted, taxi drivers should remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator(s) and call for the Police as soon as possible.

source: Singapore Police

Two Filipino women jailed for conspiracy to cheat Standard Chartered Bank.

Two Filipino women were jailed in Singapore for being part of a conspiracy to cheat Standard Chartered Bank.

One of them, Charon Legaspi Dimpas, was sentenced to 45 months behind bars for cheating the bank of nearly $760,000.

The 26-year-old former direct sales agent from telemarketing company, Touch & Tech, committed the offence between June and November 2009.

She pleaded guilty on Monday to eight charges while 88 other similar ones were taken into consideration.

The other woman, 39-year-old Maria Theresa Arenas Garcia, was sentenced to six months' jail for being part of the ruse.

Touch & Tech had been engaged by the bank to make calls to prospective applicants to market the unsecured credit facilities it offered.

Dimpas became part of a syndicate that illegally helped foreigners obtain the loans from the bank even though they were not eligible.

She forged her applicants' payslips by inflating their monthly incomes above the stipulated $60,000.

The court heard that their annual income has to be at least that amount to be eligible for the bank's credit facilities.

And because foreigners holding employment passes must have a minimum of one-year validity remaining on their working papers, Dimpas also forged letters of extension for employment to assist her applicants.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Magdalene Huang told the court that Dimpas earned a commission of more than $8,000 from her 96 successful applications using the forged documents.

Ms Huang added that Dimpas was allegedly encouraged to do so by her former boss, Singaporean Abdul Karim Baba, who too was entitled to commissions and bonuses from the submissions to the bank.

It's believed Abdul Karim, 60, also helped check the forged documents and allegedly suggested to his subordinates, who were part of the scam, to darken the font and include some smudges to the forged documents to make them appear authentic.

Most of Dimpas' applicants were believed to be referrals provided by a 28-year-old Filipino technician, Mark Robert Fajilan Landicho. The latter is believed to have attracted applicants by placing an advertisement on a Filipino community online portal.

A post on pinoysg allegedly put up by him stated that he could help them process their applications for loans and credit cards from Standard Chartered Bank even if they did not earn the stipulated income.

It's believed he received $75 for each successful application.

Both Landicho and Abdul Karim have already been charged for allegedly taking part in the scam.

Garcia, one of the many applicants, submitted forged payslips and a bogus letter of extension for employment. In doing so, the administrative operation executive deceived the bank into giving her a loan of $10,500.

For the offences, the women could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined on each charge.

Link from the subordinate court hearing their case.

Singapore Police arrested a 42 year-old snatcher on bicycle with the assistance of 2 teen-agers.

A 33 year-old woman was walking along Pasir Ris Drive 1 on December 26, 2010 at about 3.45pm when a man on a bicycle came from behind and snatched away her purse. The victim shouted for help and two 17 year-old youths who happened to be in the vicinity responded to her cries and went after the thief. After a short chase, the youths spotted the suspect running up a nearby block of flats at Pasir Ris St 11 and called for the police while keeping watch.

Officers from Bedok Police Division responded promptly and conducted a systematic search of the said block. The suspect was found hiding on the 9th floor and placed under arrest. The victim’s items were also successfully recovered from the suspect’s possession.

The suspect will be charged in court on 28 December 2010 for the offence of snatch theft under Section 356 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which carries a maximum punishment of 7 years imprisonment and caning.

Commander of Bedok Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Teo Chun Ching commended the 2 youths for their public-spiritedness and said, "This arrest showcases the importance and effectiveness of Police-community partnership in the fight against crime."

Singapore Police nab 32-year-old Malaysian believed to be responsible for two cases of armed robbery

Singapore Police have arrested a 32-year-old Malaysian man who is believed to be responsible for two cases of armed robbery with hurt in the Ang Mo Kio estate.

On 29 November 2010 and 1 December 2010 , two cases of robberies were reported in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio. In the first case on 29 November 2010 , a 60-year-old female victim was assaulted and robbed of her handbag containing S$50/- cash and a handphone by an unknown man while she was in the lift of Blk 438 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 at around 11am . In the second case on 1 December 2010 , a 57-year-old taxi driver was robbed of S$180/- at knifepoint by a male passenger in his taxi at Blk 416 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 at around 10.05am . As a result of a struggle with the suspect, the taxi driver also suffered a 4cm laceration on his neck.

Following the reports, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division worked relentlessly on all possible leads. Through extensive probes and investigative follow-up, the officers managed to establish the identity of the suspect – a Malaysian who had overstayed. With this lead, the officers mounted a series of ambush operations at various locations in Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh area in a bid to apprehend him.

On 2 December 2010 at about 5.20 pm , the officers' efforts finally paid off when they located the suspect and arrested him in the vicinity of Lorong 5 Toa Payoh. Upon his arrest, he was found in possession of a bank passbook belonging to the first victim and a penknife, which was believed to have been used in the commission of the offence.

The suspect will be charged in the Court on 4 December 2010 for Armed Robbery with Hurt which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment and not less than 24 strokes of the cane. He also faces an additional charge of Overstaying Illegally in Singapore under the Immigration Act. A Court Order will be sought to remand the suspect for further investigation thereafter.

Driving instructor jailed for 9 months for molesting and insulting his teenage student

A 52-year-old Singapore driving instructor was sentenced today to nine months' jail for molesting his student and uttering sexually explicit words in her presence.

Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman was convicted of three counts of molest and one count of insulting the girl's modesty following a three-day trial.

He had committed the offences in a car during the girl's fifth and final driving lesson on December 19 last year.

He did so while the 18-year-old student was driving around the Ubi Estate between 8.30am and 10am that day.

Abdul Aziz had placed his right hand on her inner left thigh and squeezed it several times.

He had also used a finger to brush against her chest.

During the trial, the girl had testified that during her first four lessons with Abdul Aziz, she found that he was "a very nice person who was easy to talk to".

He only started behaving inappropriately towards her after the first 15 minutes of the final lesson.

The student had also testified that she felt violated by Abdul Aziz's behaviour.

In mitigation, the instructor's lawyer, Ismail Hamid urged District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim to consider his client's age before sentencing him.

Mr Ismail added that Abdul Aziz has been suspended from his job since he was charged and was "deprived of his livelihood" for more than six months.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Edward Ti told the court that Abdul Aziz had betrayed what he referred to as a "sacred" relationship between a student and a teacher.

The crimes had also taken place in a confined space, said Mr Ti.

Abdul Aziz who intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence has been offered a bail of $15,000.

For each molest charge, he could have been jailed up to two years and fined.

And for insulting the teenager's modesty, he could have been jailed up to a year and fined.