4 men, 3 women arrested for alleged theft of Budget 2020 grocery vouchers from HDB letterboxes across S’pore

SINGAPORE — The police have arrested four men and three women for allegedly stealing Budget 2020 grocery vouchers from letterboxes at various public housing blocks around Singapore.

In a statement on Thursday (Oct 15) evening, the police said that the suspects were aged between 23 and 54, and that the cases appeared to be unrelated and “opportunistic in nature”.

One of the suspects is a 37-year-old woman who was arrested on Sunday for allegedly stealing the vouchers from letterboxes in Toa Payoh.

On Thursday, the police gave a brief description of the individuals involved in the other cases, including the locations of the alleged thefts, which were all at Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks.

1. Tampines Street 86

A 24-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were arrested on Wednesday.

The man allegedly stole the vouchers on two occasions.

Both will be charged with theft on Friday.

2. Marsiling Road

A 41-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman were arrested on Wednesday.

As investigations are ongoing, no further details were given.

3. Telok Blangah Rise

A 54-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday.

4. Holland Close

A 54-year-old man was arrested on Thursday.

PUTTING IN MORE EFFORT

The police said that they have received similar reports from other residential estates.

“We are intensifying our efforts with a view to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” they added.

They recommend that members of the public who are eligible for the grocery vouchers should collect them as soon as possible, and to ensure that their letterbox is secured at all times.

The grocery vouchers, announced in the Unity Budget in February, were mailed to 150,000 Singaporeans to help with their household expenses.

Singaporeans aged 21 and above this year who live in one-room and two-room HDB flats, and do not own more than one property, are eligible.

The Ministry of Finance said last Saturday that recipients will get S$150 worth of grocery vouchers in October and another S$150 in December. Eligible Singaporeans will get one more round of aid, with S$100 worth of grocery vouchers to be given in October next year.

Anyone who suspects that their vouchers have been stolen is advised to make a police report immediately and call the grocery voucher hotline at 1800-2222-888 to ask that the vouchers be voided and replaced. Voided vouchers cannot be redeemed.

Anyone found guilty of theft could be jailed up to three years or fined, or both.