Police Manhunt Underway For Suspect In Attempted Armed Robbery At ValueMax Pawnshop In Boon Lay MRT Station
Singapore isn’t home to many armed robberies, so this case which happened in broad daylight will surely shock you.
A would-be robber was armed with a gun replica & a device he claimed was “explosive”, in a failed Boon Lay MRT station pawnshop robbery at 4.30pm on Saturday (28 Jul).
Here’s how it went down, and how you can do your part to assist the police in tracking him down, as per their plea for eyewitnesses to come forth.
You can view Channel NewsAsia’s post of the CCTV footage here.
Threatened staff with replica gun & ‘explosive device’
Based on preliminary investigations & CCTV footage, this is the sequence of events that played out on around 4.30pm on Saturday.
- Man entered ValueMax pawnshop at Boon Lay MRT station
- Man threatened shop staff with a knife & a gun (believed to be a replica)
- Demanded for staff to handover cash and jewellery
- Staff refused his demands
- Man allegedly told staff he would “blow the pawnshop up” with an “explosive device”
- Man threw the device on the counter, & fled without taking any items
- Staff threw object out of the pawnshop & called the police
- No staff were injured in the incident
The aftermath
Due to the incident, Boon Lay MRT station’s exit C was closed, while police investigated the “suspicious object”.
A popular pedestrian square near Jurong Point and several shops were also cordoned off, as armed officers proceeded with a walkabout.
Commuters described police milling about the crime scene, to take photos within the affected ValueMax pawnshop as well.
Fake explosive device only contained some electrical components
Thankfully, the robbery involved a fake explosive device, which the police say only “contained some electrical components”.
However, the suspect when caught, faces charges under Section 4(A) of the Arms Offences Act.
The act states that,
Anyone found guilty of using or attempting to use any arm at the time of his committing or attempting to commit any scheduled offence shall, whether or not he has any intention to cause physical injury to any person or property, be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with death.
This means that even if no injuries were caused to the pawnshop staff, the suspect faces the gravest penalty of the death sentence if convicted.
1.75m tall suspect in a pink turban
Currently, the police are appealing for more information from eyewitnesses, as the hunt continues for the suspect.
The bearded man is described to be:
- 1.75m tall
- Wearing a pink turban
- Dressed in blue jacket and long brown pants
You may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-000 or submit information anonymously using the iWitness form here. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
A shocking case in Pulau Boon Lay
Although Boon Lay is far from the rest of Singapore, it is near to Nanyang Technological University – affectionately known as Pulau NTU – and many housing estates.
We do hope the suspect is apprehended soon, for the safety of everyone.
Featured image from Singapore Police Force and Google Maps.
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