15-year-old among 5 teens arrested for stealing cars for joyrides in Punggol

Five teenagers — four males and one female — were arrested for their suspected involvement in the theft of two motor vehicles at Punggol.

In a press release on Wednesday (June 10), the police said that they were alerted to a case of motor vehicle theft around Ponggol Seventeenth Avenue, a freehold landed estate, on June 6 at about 4.35pm.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the five teens, aged between 15 and 18, were able to access the vehicles because the cars' transponder keys were left unattended on the car tyres. 

A transponder key uses a microchip to unlock a vehicle over a short distance, allowing the user to also start the vehicle's ignition once detected.

The teenagers then proceeded to take the cars out on a joyride despite none of them possessing a valid driving license.

Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division managed to identify the five teenagers through ground enquires, CCTV images and police cameras, and arrested them on June 9.

Four of the teens will be charged in court on Wednesday for motor vehicle theft. 

If convicted, each of them will face a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine. 

Separately, police investigations are still ongoing against the remaining 16-year-old boy.

The police also reminded drivers to park their vehicles in well-lit areas and to avoid leaving their keys or transponders unattended.

They also advised drivers to remove any valuables from the vehicles and to lock the doors, even if their cars will only be momentarily left unattended.

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laili.abdeen@asiaone.com