Alleged Woodlands snatch thief to be charged

SINGAPORE — A man who had allegedly committed multiple cases of snatch theft will be charged in court today after he was arrested yesterday.

The man, 21, is believed to be behind various cases that took place in Woodlands.

The police said that since May, it had received multiple reports from victims who had their mobile phones snatched from them and the victims had given similar descriptions of the suspect.

Based on the descriptions, the victims’ profiles and the modus operandi of the cases, officers from the Jurong Police Division conducted investigations and ground enquiries to establish his identity. He was arrested in the vicinity of Woodlands Drive 60 early yesterday morning.

The suspect will be charged with using criminal force to commit theft, which is punishable with a jail term of not less than one year and not more than seven years. A convicted person could also be sentenced to caning.