Singapore: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) stated in a press release on Monday (November 1) that five police officers were injured after the suspect in a stolen car was hunted over the weekend.
The suspects, three men and two women, aged between 15 and 19, were arrested in various operations on Sunday. Two unmarked police cars, the stolen car and three other cars were also damaged.
SPF stated that they received a report involving the theft of a car at about 8:30 on Saturday night.
The police said: “The victim was a 22-year-old man who provided carpooling services. He picked up two men at Compass One shopping mall.” The passengers originally wanted to go to the HDB area in Jalan Kayu.
They arrived at their destination around 7.30 in the evening. There, the passenger asked the driver to buy cigarettes in a nearby store, and he agreed. The driver let the car engine run, and later saw the passengers driving away in his car.
The police then launched an operation to track down the two men and the stolen car. Later, they also determined the identity of one of the suspects, and a 19-year-old man was identified as the “first driver”.
At around 2:15 am on Sunday, plainclothes police found the suspect at No. 21 Yishun Street, including a woman in the stolen car.
The police said: “When the police were negotiating with the police in the open parking lot, the first driver allegedly collided with a police car that was not marked by the police and speeded up the escape,” adding that he allegedly ran into a car while running away. The parked van.
Subsequently, the police could not see the car damaged in the collision on Yishun 7th Street.
The investigation also revealed that the license plate of the car was changed to a license plate stolen from another Marine Parade.
The driver was later found near No. 5 Ang Mo Kio Avenue and was arrested with his 15-year-old passenger at around 8 am. A stun device was recovered from him.
The police stated that he allegedly gave the stolen car to a 19-year-old associate who allegedly stole it with him.
At around 9 am, plainclothes police found the second man in a parking lot along No. 6 Ang Mo Kio Avenue. He was in the stolen car and was accompanied by another man.
The police said: “When the police officer instructed the second driver and his male passenger to get out of the car, he ignored the police officer’s instructions and allegedly accelerated his escape, causing three police officers to fall and suffer minor injuries.”
Three plainclothes policemen in another unmarked police car then chased the car. It was eventually intercepted in the Lento Plain. However, the driver allegedly hit the side of the chasing police car and two other private cars parked on the side of the road while trying to escape.
SPF stated that two policemen in the unmarked police vehicle received minor injuries.
The “second driver” and his 18-year-old passenger were subsequently arrested. The police added that a flick knife was found in the car.
A follow-up investigation revealed that a 16-year-old woman allegedly helped the men deal with the stolen cars. She was arrested at 9 Ang Mo Kio Avenue on Sunday afternoon.
On Monday, two of the men were charged with theft. If convicted, they can be sentenced to up to seven years in jail and fined. One of them will also face additional charges of stealing license plates, with a maximum sentence of three years in prison or a fine, or both.
In addition, they will be investigated for multiple crimes. This includes intentionally causing injury to prevent public servants from performing their duties, reckless behavior endangering the lives or personal safety of others, dangerous driving, driving without a license, and not stopping after an accident.
The role of other suspects in handling cars is under investigation. If found guilty, they can be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined. They may also be cancelled for holding or obtaining a driving license for a period of time ordered by the court.
