20-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) A 33-year-old man in Punggol narrowly avoided a robbery after meeting a 16-year-old boy for a crypto token exchange. The teenager, along with two accomplices, was subsequently arrested.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) revealed the incident in a news release on Sunday (19 Nov), shedding light on the risky nature of deals made with unfamiliar individuals, both online and in person.
According to the SPF, the victim had been contacted by a stranger on Telegram who proposed a trade of crypto tokens for cash. Intrigued by the offer, the 33-year-old agreed to meet the 16-year-old at Punggol Field on Saturday (18 Nov) to exchange S$81,000 in cash for the promised crypto tokens.
However, the situation took a dangerous turn during the transaction. As the teenager was counting the money, he allegedly seized the bag containing the cash and attempted to flee. The victim pursued the culprit, successfully apprehending him. Shockingly, the teenager then brandished a kitchen knife, though he inadvertently dropped it during the ensuing scuffle.
With the assistance of two men and one woman, the victim managed to subdue the teenager until the police arrived and made the arrest. The full amount of the cash was recovered.
The case didn’t conclude with the teenager’s arrest, as two additional men believed to be connected to the incident were identified through ground inquiries and police camera images. On the same day, a 33-year-old man was arrested around Circuit Road, while a 27-year-old man was apprehended along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9. The 33-year-old and the teenager are set to be charged in court on Monday (20 Nov) for conspiracy to commit robbery under Section 392 and Section 109 of the Penal Code. The 27-year-old remains under police investigation.
In response to this incident, the police advised the public to avoid carrying large sums of cash in public.
