The police have arrested eight men and six women, aged between 16 and 67, for their suspected involvement in separate cases of theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers from HDB letterboxes at different locations island-wide.
A 28-year-old woman was arrested for her suspected involvement in a case of assisting in the disposal of stolen Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers linked to one of the theft cases.
The police are also investigating another 26-year-old woman and 70-year-old man for their suspected involvement in separate cases of dishonestly misappropriating Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers.
The details of the arrests are as follows:
1. Officers from the Central Police Division arrested a 17-year-old man and two women, aged 16 and 18, on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at several residential blocks along Maude Road and Kitchener Road.
The trio will be charged in court on Oct. 17, 2020 with theft with common intention.
2. Officers from the Clementi Police Division arrested two men, aged 54 and 61, on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Lengkok Bahru.
Investigations are ongoing.
3. Officers from the Tanglin Police Division arrested a 24-year-old man on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Lower Delta Road.
In a separate and unrelated case, a 46-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman were arrested for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.
Investigations are ongoing.
4. Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 53-year-old woman on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
A 28-year-old woman, daughter of the 53-year-old woman, was also arrested in relation to the case for allegedly using the Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers after knowing that they had been stolen.
Investigations are ongoing.
5. Officers from the Bedok Police Division arrested a 43-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Aljunied Crescent.
Investigations are ongoing.
6. Officers from the Jurong Police Division arrested a 43-year-old man on Oct. 15, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Jalan Kayu.
In a separate and unrelated case, a 34-year-old woman was arrested for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Kim Tian Place.
In two other separate cases, a 70-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman are being investigated for dishonestly misappropriating Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at residential blocks along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7 and Choa Chu Kang Street 51 respectively.
Investigations are ongoing.
7. Officers from the Woodlands Police Division arrested a 67-year-old man on Oct. 16, 2020 for alleged theft of Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers at a residential block along Marsiling Road.
Investigations are ongoing.
More than 24 people arrested over 6 days
Over the past six days, the police have investigated or arrested more than 24 persons linked to these thefts.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that these cases are unrelated and opportunistic in nature.
The police also provided photos of the improvised tools used for the alleged thefts:
Back scratcher
Improvised hook
Stolen vouchers seized by police
Penalties
The offence of theft carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
The offence of assisting in the disposal of stolen property carries a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.
The offence of dishonest misappropriation of property carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
More reports made
The police have also received reports of similar incidents in other residential areas and are investigating these cases.
Those who spot any suspicious person loitering near letterboxes are to call the police immediately.
Members of the public who are eligible for the Budget 2020 Grocery Vouchers are advised to adopt the following measures:
i) Collect your Budget 2020 grocery vouchers from your letter box as soon as possible.
ii) Ensure that your letterbox is secured at all times.
Report stolen vouchers
Those who suspect that their vouchers have been stolen are to make a police report immediately and contact the Grocery Voucher hotline at 1800-2222-888 to request for your vouchers to be voided and replaced.
Voided vouchers cannot be redeemed.