Serial conman arrested

Serial conman arrested

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a 58 year-old man on Saturday believed to have cheated at least five people.

Between Jan 7 and Feb 17, police received four similar reports informing that the victims had each handed over between $300 to $900 to an unknown man as deposits for electrical devices or appliances.

After handing over the money, they were told to wait outside a departmental store while the man collected the ordered items. However, each time, the man did not return and the victims eventually realised that they had been cheated after checking with the departmental store.

Police spotted the suspect outside a department store along Serangoon Road at about 11 am on Feb 22. He was spotted alighting from a taxi, and a group of officers quickly moved in to detain the suspect. Meanwhile, another group of officers interviewed a male passenger who remained on-board the taxi after the suspect had alighted.

The passenger, a 54 year-old man, revealed to the officers that he was waiting for the suspect to deliver three smartphones to him after he had handed over $650 to the suspect for the phones. The suspect was found with the $650 in his possession and was subsequently placed under arrest. It was also established that the suspect was not an employee of the departmental store.

The suspect will be charged for Cheating and Dishonestly Inducing a Delivery of Property, an offence under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine. A court order will be sought to remand the suspect for further investigations.

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