Fourth suspect charged for role in $624k heist in Aljunied Crescent

SINGAPORE - A 31-year-old man allegedly took part in a brazen robbery of a moneychanger at an Aljunied carpark in 2014, and then fled across the Causeway.

On Friday (April 15), Malaysian Selvam Karupaya was charged with robbing Mr Ali Yousouf Saiboo, 37, of two bags containing $624,036 in Singapore and foreign currencies at the open-air carpark of Block 110, Aljunied Crescent at 12.53am on Nov 5, 2014.

District Judge Christopher Goh granted the police prosecutor's request for Selvam to be remanded for a week at the Central Police Division, and to be taken out for investigations.

The judge told Selvam that bail would be offered to him on April 22, if his custody was no longer required.

Selvam was arrested by Malaysian police and handed over to Singapore police on Thursday.

Mr Saiboo worked for his father-in-law's money changing business at The Arcade. On the day of the robbery, Mr Saiboo had decided to safekeep the currencies at his father-in-law's home in Aljunied Crescent.

But he was ambushed in his car by five men clad in balaclavas and face masks, with plasters stuck on their fingertips.

Mr Saiboo, who had his two-year-old son with him, locked the car doors.

One of the robbers then hit the window on his side with a crowbar until it shattered, while another dragged Mr Saiboo out and assaulted him. One of the robbers also threatened to kill his son.

After the robbers took the two bags of money, one of them kicked Mr Saiboo in the stomach before leaving.

None of the money has been recovered.

Three men have already been sentenced for their respective roles in the armed robbery.

Ravi Sandhira Sagaran, 28, a Malaysian, was jailed for seven years with 12 strokes of the cane in January after he admitted to the offence.

In February, Annadurai Raman, 43, a Singapore permanent resident, was given the same sentence, while Tachana Moorthy Peromal, 29, a Malaysian, got nine years with 12 strokes of the cane.

Tachana was one of the masterminds in the robbery, which is believed to involve a total of eight men, including look-outs.

Annadurai was arrested here on Nov 8, while Ravi and Tachana were arrested in Malaysia on Nov 12.

The remaining four accomplices, all Malaysians, including the robbery's alleged grand mastermind Baskaran Balakrishnan, are still at-large.

If convicted of his charge of armed robbery with hurt, Selvam faces a jail term of between five and 20 years, with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

This article was first published on April 15, 2016.
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