Woman arrested after stealing man’s wallet at Chinatown MRT station, uses it to buy bak kwa
A woman was arrested after allegedly stealing a wallet at Chinatown MRT station.
Shen then purchased S$88 worth of bak kwa with the stolen credit cards.
Source: Share Food Singapore
Victim left mobile phone and bag unattended while shopping
Shin Min Daily News spoke to the victim, Mr Gao, about the incident, which occurred on Saturday (21 Feb) at around 4pm.
He had placed his mobile phone and crossbody bag near a socket at Chinatown MRT station to charge before leaving to continue shopping.
Source: Singapore MRT Wiki
When he returned to the MRT station, he saw staff members holding his umbrella.
He was informed by staff members that a “kind person” had passed his belongings to the control room.
He proceeded to retrieve his items, but did not check their contents before taking the MRT.
However, upon reaching Clarke Quay MRT station, the 45-year-old facilities manager realised that his wallet, which he had placed in my bag, was missing.
Called police, rushed back to Chinatown
According to Mr Gao, his wallet contained S$60 in cash, bank cards, identification cards, a driver’s licence, and a house key.
Source: Emil Kalibradov on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only
Mr Gao then rushed back to Chinatown MRT station to notify the staff members and alert the police.
Upon their arrival, the police reviewed CCTV footage and suspected that the person who took the wallet may have been the “kind person” who had handed his belongings to the staff.
However, CCTV footage did not directly capture the moment Mr Gao’s wallet was stolen.
Receives bank transactions of bak kwa purchases
Just as he was about to leave to wait for further updates, Mr Gao received bank notifications of two transactions (S$66.60 and S$22.20) on his card at Lim Chee Guan, a well-known bak kwa shop.
The outlet is believed to be located at 203 New Bridge Rd, a short walk away from Chinatown MRT station.
Source: Derek Q on Google Maps
With CCTV footage evidence, police confirmed the woman as the suspect.
Victim spots suspect, apprehends her
As soon as Mr Gao got on the escalator, he spotted a woman carrying two bags of bak kwa coming down the escalator.
Upon recognising the woman, he grabbed the woman’s hands and waited for the police to assist in apprehending her.
Source: SPF
According to Mr Gao, after the woman allegedly took out the bank cards and cash, she lost his documents with the wallet.
“Although it was wrong of me to leave my belongings at the MRT station, Singapore has always been very safe, and the MRT has so many CCTV cameras,” Mr Gao said.
Suspect claimed to be ill, pleads for leniency
After being arrested, the suspect begged Mr Gao for forgiveness and to let her off.
Mr Gao told Shin Min Daily News that the woman continually apologised to him, in Mandarin.
The suspect pleaded that she was unwell and struggling with heart issues that required surgery.
Source: Olga Kononenko on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only
The subject, who had claimed to be unwell, was assessed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
In response to queries from MS News, SCDF confirmed that they had received a call for help on 21 Feb at 7.10 pm, at 91 Upper Cross Street.
SCDF also assessed a person who declined to be sent to the hospital.
In response to MS News‘ queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that on 21 Feb, at about 5.05pm, they received a call for assistance at Chinatown MRT station.
A 46-year-old woman was arrested for cheating, and police investigations are ongoing.
Suspect asked shop staff to try swiping a bank card
Following the incident, a Lim Chee Guan shop assistant mentioned that the suspect had behaved strangely while attempting to purchase these items, as reported by Shin Min Daily News.
The woman initially purchased S$22 worth of bak kwa. When paying, she seemed unsure of which card to use for payment.
Source: The Red Marker on Google Maps
She then returned to purchase another S$66 worth of bak kwa, paying with a different card.
Also read: Student in Thailand spots thief riding his stolen motorbike while dining, chases him & recovers it
Student in Thailand spots thief riding his stolen motorbike while dining, chases him & recovers it
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Featured image adapted from Emil Kalibradov on Unsplash (for illustration purposes only) and Share Food Singapore
