Two teens arrested for impersonating police officers

SINGAPORE - Two teens aged 15 and 16 years old were arrested by the police on Tuesday for impersonating police officers.

Two students reported to the police on April 1 that they were approached by the suspects, who identified themselves as police officers, at St Georges Road and were checked by them.

They then requested the victims to surrender their mobile phones and EZ-Link Cards and told them to wait while they returned to their vehicle. They did not return.

The two were arrested yesterday in the vicinity of Henderson Road and Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 respectively.

Both suspects will be charged in Court on April 10 for the offence of Cheating by Personation under Section 419 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 which carries a punishment of imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with both.

Commander of Central Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Daniel Tan would like to remind the public to be vigilant and wary of persons who may impersonate as Police Officers to facilitate the commission of their criminal acts.

If in doubt, they should request for the Police Officer’s Warrant Card to verify his identity before complying with the instructions of the officer. A genuine warrant card will have identification features such as the Police crest, the photo of the officer, his name and NRIC number.

If they are still unsure of the person’s credibility as a Police Officer, they should call 999 for assistance. More information on how to identify and verify the authenticity of a Police Officer is available at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150337396324408.428410.56706929407&type=3.

ellenja@sph.com.sg