Two teenage boys aged 15 and 17 have been arrested after allegedly breaking into a minimart in Bukit Merah.
They allegedly took cash and numerous packets of cigarettes, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release on Tuesday (20 Oct).
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
SPF was alerted to the case of housebreaking and theft at about 7.15am on Monday (19 Oct), it said.
About S$2,100 in cash and 290 packets of cigarettes were reported stolen from a minimart along Jalan Bukit Merah.
The cigarettes were valued at about S$3,000.
Officers from the Central Police Division conducted ground enquiries and viewed images from police cameras.
They managed to identify the two teenagers and arrested them within 10 hours of the report being made.
The police recovered S$462 in cash and 203 packets of cigarettes, which were seized as evidence.
Source: Singapore Police Force
On Wednesday (21 Oct), the teenagers will be charged with housebreaking and theft with common intention, under Section 451 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871.
Theft with common intention refers to a criminal act that is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all. Each of such persons will be liable for that act in the same manner as if the act were done by that person alone.
If convicted, they each face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.
SPF advised property owners to adopt crime prevention measures, including securing openings on their property with good-quality grilles and closed-shakle padlocks when unattended.
They should avoid keeping large sums of cash and valuables on the premises.
A burglar alarm, motion sensor lights, and/or CCTV cameras may also be installed at the access points into the premises.
These devices should be tested periodically to ensure they are in good working condition.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.