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.

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.

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.

Three woman behind bars for shoplifting in Mustafa Shopping Centre

Image via Wikipedia

Three women were jailed on Tuesday for shoplifting at Mustafa Centre in Little India.

Mustafa Centre is Singapore's only 24-hour shopping mall, which is located on Syed Alwi Road in Little India.

Two of them, 32-year-old Hawa Nachia A Muhammad Yassin and her sister-in-law, 35-year-old Najmudeen Saharjath, will each have to spend 12 weeks behind bars.

The housewives had worked together with an alleged accomplice, Najmudeen's husband Mohammed Riaz, to steal more than $$2,500 worth of clothes, stationery and toiletries from the 24-hour store on Jan 15.

According to court documents, the trio arrived at the store at around 8.45pm that day and stuffed the items into Mustafa Centre shopping bags which they found discarded on the premises.

But they were stopped in their tracks by the store's security as they were heading for the exits.

The two women, who were unrepresented, pleaded for leniency, saying they had to care for their children.

Both of them appeared distraught when District Judge Roy Neighbour handed them their sentence.

Muhammad Riaz, a 40-year-old cab driver, hasn't been dealt with. He will be back in court on Thursday next week.

In another case, a 35-year-old retail assistant, Siti Farah Sheik Zainal Abdin, was sentenced to a day's jail and fined $2,000 after stealing more than $300 worth of items from the store.

She was caught when an anti-theft alarm was triggered.

Singapore Police Auction Confiscated Designer Items At Bargain Prices

A DIGITAL camera for $30. Laptops for $400. Rolex and Omega watches for $500.

These are among the thousands of great bargains you can find at the Singapore Police Force public auction.

Held once every 3 to 4 months, the auction is open to the public and attracts businessmen, retirees, bargain hunters and other buyers.

The goods are priced cheaply because they include confiscated items from theft, credit card fraud and cross-border smuggling cases, as well as lost items turned over by the public and old police equipment.

The 5,000 items sold last Wednesday 26 January included diamonds, designer handbags and even cars.

Singapore Police Crime Prevention Advisory For The Festive Season – Molest & Unruly Crowds

The Christmas and the New Year celebrations are round the corner and as with previous years, large crowd and heavy vehicular traffic will be expected at major shopping centers, along areas like Orchard Road , Marina Bay, Vivo City and Sentosa. Police would like to advise all shoppers and revelers to remain vigilant against crime during the period.

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE AGAINST MOLEST

Members of the public, especially women, are advised to stay vigilant against those who may take the opportunity to commit molest during this festive season. The following are some precautions women can take to minimize the risk of becoming a victim:

• Be wary of strangers who approach you in crowded areas
• Stay close to your friends or move around in groups when in crowded places
• Be aware and alert of your surroundings. If someone stands exceptionally close to you, or if you suspect that you are being followed, remain calm and proceed to a more crowded area to seek assistance;
• Avoid taking short-cuts through dark and deserted places. Keep to well-lit areas where there are more people and traffic;
• Do not enter the lift with a stranger. Let the stranger take the lift and wait for the next one;
• When coming home late at night, get someone to meet up with you at a planned location like the bus-stop, car-park or void-deck to escort you home;
• Carry a shrill alarm to call for help in times of emergencies; and
• When traveling in a public transport, remain alert and do not nap or sleep. 

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE AGAINST UNRULY CROWDS

During the festive season, people may congregate in groups to celebrate. During such an occasion, people may also consume alcohol. Unfortunately, some celebrations may turn rowdy. Police take a serious view against actions which disrupt public order and peace and will not hesitate to take action against those involved in such cases. Foreign workers who are convicted of such crimes may also risk losing their jobs.

• Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures to protect themselves:
• Be aware of your surroundings. If you notice a crowd likely to turn rowdy, move away and report the matter to Police
• When confronted by unfriendly/unruly persons, diffuse the situation by moving away quickly and avoid unnecessary eye-contacts or conversations. If the harassment persists, seek assistance from people and call for Police; and
• Consume alcohol within your limits and remain sober

Singapore Police Force (SPF) cease issuing Certificates of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) to non-Singapore citizens

Image via Wikipedia

The Philippine Embassy wishes to inform all Filipinos in Singapore that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) will cease issuing Certificates of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) to non-Singapore citizens effective 18 October 2010.

Certificate of No Criminal Conviction also known as CNCC is issued by the Criminal Investigation Department to certify that a person has no criminal conviction in Singapore within a stipulated period of time. It is issued for immigration related purposes only.

According to the Singapore Police Force, the issuance of a CNCC does not form part of its core function, and that the change in policy is in line with the recent differentiation approach of the Singapore government between citizens and non-citizens in terms of benefits in the healthcare, medical, and education sectors.

For non-Singapore citizens requiring CNCC, there are alternative means, such as applying for a Statutory Declaration through the Commissioners of Oath or qualified legal practitioners. A list of appointed Commissioners for Oaths may be found on the Singapore Academy of Law website at www.sal.org.sg.

Further information on this new policy can be obtained at the SPF website at www.spf.gov.sg. The public may also send further inquiries on the matter to SPF at their email address.