Suspect in Boon Lay pawnshop robbery arrested
SINGAPORE — The man who allegedly threatened to blow up a ValueMax pawnshop outside Boon Lay MRT Station after his failed robbery attempt last Saturday has been arrested, the police said on Wednesday (Aug 1).
SINGAPORE — The man who allegedly threatened to blow up a ValueMax pawnshop outside Boon Lay MRT Station after his failed robbery attempt last Saturday has been arrested, the police said on Wednesday (Aug 1).
Armed with a knife and what appeared to be a replica gun, the man — who turned up at the pawnshop at about 4.30pm on Saturday — ordered the pawnshop staff to hand over cash and jewellery, and allegedly threatened to blow up the pawnshop with what he claimed was an "explosive device" after the employees refused his demands.
He then flung the object on the pawnshop's counter and fled without making off with any item.
ValueMax executive director Yeah Lee Ching told TODAY the moustached robber – who looked to be in his early 20s and was last seen wearing a pink turban, blue jacket and long brown trousers – stuttered and paced up and down when her staff refused to hand over any cash or jewellery.
Unbeknownst to the robber, the shop's advanced security system allowed security and the police to be alerted while he was still in the pawnshop, and digital technology also enabled it to promptly provide the police with closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
While the incident was unfolding, ValueMax staff had sounded an alarm to a security monitoring station manned by crew from security solutions providers Ademco or Certis Cisco who could see the CCTV footage live on their mobile phones or workstations, and alert the police.
Police later established that what the robber called an explosive device contained only "some electrical components" and classified the case under Section 4(A) of the Arms Offences Act.
Anyone found guilty of using — or attempting to use — arms while committing or trying to commit an offence could face the death penalty if convicted, whether he intended to cause physical injury to persons or property.
Sign up for TODAY's WhatsApp service. Click here: