PUBLISHED ONJune 02, 2026 12:09 PMUPDATEDJune 02, 2026 12:19 PMBYSean LerHaving robbed a 45-year-old woman from China in a hotel room at Marina Bay Sands, three male Chinese nationals aged beween 29 and 34 rushed to the airport and boarded a flight bound for Shanghai on Monday (June 1).
One of the suspects had restrained the victim by the neck during the robbery, and she and her child were later locked in the balcony of the room.
But the trio's getaway plan was foiled after police cracked the case within four hours and recalled their aeroplane which had already left the boarding gate.
In a news release on Tuesday, the police said they received a report about the case at about 7pm on Monday.
The victim had got acquainted with someone on a messaging platform, who claimed to offer foreign currency exchange services.
She agreed to exchange $50,000 of cash for foreign currency, and for the exchanged amount to be deposited into her bank e-wallet.
Accompanied by her child, the woman brought along the money to meet one of the alleged robbers near Marina Bay Sands.
He brought her to a hotel room, where another suspect was hiding in the bathroom.
The police said the woman was forced to hand over the cash by one of the men, who restrained her by the neck.
The woman and her child were then locked in the balcony of the room and suffered minor injuries.
AsiaOne understands that the woman climbed over to the balcony of an adjacent room for help.
Police officers identified the three suspects before 11pm and found that they had boarded the Shanghai-bound flight.
The plane was recalled to the gate and the trio were arrested with the stolen money found on them.
Checks by AsiaOne show there were only two Shanghai-bound flights departing Singapore after 11pm on Monday — MU566 operated by China Eastern Airline and HO1576 operated by Juneyao Airlines.
Further checks on flight tracking platforms show that MU566 was delayed by nearly an hour from its scheduled departure time of 11.10pm.
The three suspects will be charged in court on Wednesday with the crime of robbery with hurt.
If found guilty, the men each face a jail term of between five and 20 years, along with at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Under the law, when a crime is committed jointly by several persons, each person is liable for it as if it was committed by just one of them.
The police said they "will not tolerate such brazen acts of crime and will spare no effort to apprehend offenders and deal with them in accordance with the law".
They advised members of the public who find themselves in a similar situation to remain calm, note the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call the police as soon as possible.
Members of the public are also advised to exercise caution when engaging in currency exchange agreements with unknown parties, particularly those conducted through social media or messaging platforms.
They are encouraged to use licenced money changers for such transactions.
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