Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Lunchtime drama in CBD as robbery leads to stabbing

SINGAPORE — Lunch hour at the heart of the Central Business District was interrupted by an armed robbery yesterday, as several members of the public leapt into action to help chase down a man who appeared to have wounded another man and made off with his valuables.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — Lunch hour at the heart of the Central Business District was interrupted by an armed robbery yesterday, as several members of the public leapt into action to help chase down a man who appeared to have wounded another man and made off with his valuables.

Shouts suddenly filled the air at Raffles Green around 1pm, followed by the sight of a man bleeding from his side running after another man in a maroon shirt clutching a black laptop bag, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Passers-by also gave chase, and the maroon-shirted man was pinned down a short distance away near United Overseas Bank Plaza after a scuffle with the other man, who collapsed nearby.

Both men were taken to Singapore General Hospital after the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived on the scene. In an update in the evening, the police said the incident was a case of armed robbery with hurt, and one of the two was arrested in relation to the case. Investigations are ongoing.

While waiting for the police and the SCDF to arrive, several members of the public helped treat the bleeding man, whose clothing was soaked in blood. A woman in a beige jacket appeared to be trying to stop the bleeding, using bandages from a first aid kit brought to the scene. Others helped ensure the other man did not escape.

Mr Shawn Tan, 24, who works as an associate at a law firm nearby, was walking to his office from lunch when he heard the commotion. “I was shocked to see people — some in office attire — trying to help a guy who was covered in blood, while others had another guy pinned to the ground. Those trying to help the injured man also had blood all over their clothes and hands. I also overheard someone calling the police.”

A man who was seen talking to the police told Channel NewsAsia the skirmish happened at 1.03pm near the Raffles Place MRT station exit. He saw a man following another very closely before he heard a moan. It was then that the victim realised he had been stabbed, he said. The victim shouted and the attacker grabbed a sling bag off him and ran towards UOB Plaza.

The police later cordoned off a part of Raffles Green. Drops of blood could be seen on the ground, along with a knife. Police officers also spoke to those who had stopped to help apprehend the suspect and provide first aid to the injured man — including the woman in beige — but they declined comment when approached by reporters. The cordon was taken down around 3.30pm.

A keysmith who runs a stall outside The Arcade, an office and retail building overlooking Raffles Green, said the victim frequently visited the building, which is dominated by money changers that draw snaking queues daily. The 58-year-old keysmith who gave his name only as Mr Lee, said the injured man had been paying visits to the building regularly for a couple of years.

When TODAY approached the money changers located in The Arcade, all declined to comment.

In 2012, 26-year-old Suhardi Tan, who was a regular client of money changers, was found dead at The Arcade, setting off a police hunt for a man named Loo Soon Aik.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.