Geylang Bahru armed robbery: Suspect arrested

A 35-Year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the brazen armed robbery of a woman in her car in Geylang Bahru on Sunday afternoon.

In a statement last night, police said the suspect was doing general contractual work in a building when he was arrested by a team of officers in Scotts Road at 3.25pm yesterday.

The 33-year-old victim was alone in her car in an open-air carpark and about to drive off at 4.15pm on Sunday, when she was confronted by a man wielding a penknife.

The man demanded that the woman move to the front passenger seat, after which he took the wheel and drove the car to the upper deck of a nearby multi-storey carpark, said police.

After parking the car, the man demanded the woman's valuables including a smartphone, a wrist watch valued at about $2,000, ATM cards, a credit card as well as $200 and US$200 (S$250) in cash.

Fearing for her safety, the woman told him the personal identification numbers to her ATM cards when he ordered her to do so, added police.

The man then tied her up using adhesive tape and fled, taking her valuables with him.

The woman later freed herself, drove out from the carpark and called the police using a mobile phone from a passer-by.

Police officers commenced a massive manhunt for the suspect, which was later extended islandwide.

A breakthrough came when officers detected a man fitting the culprit's description while reviewing closed-circuit television footage recorded on Sunday.

Following the suspect's arrest, he was found with the victim's ATM cards and credit card, and cash comprising S$22 and US$1.

Officers were later led to a unit in Geylang Bahru where a wrist watch, believed to belong to the woman, was also recovered.

If convicted, the suspect may be jailed up to 10 years and be liable to caning of not less than 12 strokes.

kcarolyn@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.