SINGAPORE: Three Romanians were arrested on Monday (Apr 3) for allegedly stealing from supermarkets and retail outlets across Singapore using the sleight of hand tactic.
At least 12 cases of theft were reported between Mar 31 and Apr 2. The first two police reports were made after cashiers at a supermarket discovered cash missing at the end of their shifts.
Internal checks by the supermarket found that the suspects had approached two cashiers to change currencies to smaller denominations, said the police in a news release. During the exchange, both cashiers did not pay attention to the cash they had handled to and from the suspects and it’s believed cash was stolen in the process, when the suspects returned only some of the notes to the cashiers.
The suspects – two men and a woman aged between 25 and 39 – used a similar modus operandi in the other cases. Multiple reports were filed by other supermarkets and retail outlets, including a case where a gold chain was stolen from a goldsmith shop, police said.
The suspects’ identities were subsequently identified after police officers conducted extensive enquiries on the ground and trawled images from security camera footage.
On Monday at about 5.55 am, the three suspects were arrested a budget hotel in Geylang Lorong 18.
Four mobile phones were seized in the process. (Photo: Singapore Police Force)
Several items were seized, including Singapore bank notes amounting to S$4,996, US dollars amounting to S$5,980 and other currencies such as the Turkish Lira, British Pound and Euros of various denominations. Four mobile phones and an assortment of jewellery were also seized, the police said.
(Photo: Singapore Police Force)
Preliminary investigation revealed that thee Romanians had entered Singapore on Mar 29 on social visit passes. They had targeted busy supermarkets and retail outlets, said the police.
All three suspects will be charged in court on Tuesday. If convicted, they face a maximum jail term of three years, a fine or both.
