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Update, April 14, 4pm: A 38-year-old man, Mahadi Muhamad Mukhtar, has been charged in court on April 14 for robbing a shop in Jurong East with a real firearm.

The police have arrested a 38-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of armed robbery involving a real firearm.

The police were alerted to a case of armed robbery at a moneylending shop along Jurong Gateway Road in Jurong East on April 12, 2021, at about 3:55pm.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had allegedly robbed the unit by showing the staff inside a written note that said: "This is a robbery, don't shout. I got gun in my pocket. Put all the money in the bag."

The staff handed over cash amounting to more than S$24,000 to the man and he fled.

Did not show gun to staff

While the man was allegedly carrying a firearm during the commission of the offence, he did not reveal his weapon to the staff.

The man is believed to have acted alone.

The police worked with Aetos to arrest the man.

Through extensive investigations and aided by images from police cameras and shop CCTVs, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department and Clementi Police Division arrested the man with the help from Aetos staff.

The man's identity was established to be an on-duty Aetos auxiliary police officer at the time he allegedly committed the offence.

He was arrested within five hours of the reported crime.

What happened

The man had reported to work at Aetos headquarters and had drawn his firearm prior to the commencement of his deployment.

He then changed out of his uniform and left the Aetos headquarters with his firearm without authorisation.

He allegedly committed the offence before reporting back to Aetos headquarters to change into his uniform and take the company's transport van to his deployment location.

Investigations also revealed that the man had purportedly deposited part of the stolen cash into the bank account of a 34-year-old woman, who is his female friend.

The man also transferred the stolen cash to a few bank accounts to repay his debts to unlicensed moneylenders.

The woman had also allegedly facilitated the transfer of the stolen cash and she was arrested for dishonestly receiving stolen property.

More people arrested

The police have arrested eight other persons, aged between 16 and 48, for the same offence in connection to the case.

A portion of the stolen cash amounting to about S$17,500 has since been recovered.

Efforts are underway to recover the remaining cash.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The last time there was recorded armed robbery involving a firearm was in 2006.

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police How Kwang Hwee, director of CID, said: "The man involved in the armed robbery abused the firearm entrusted to him to carry out his duties."

"Police officers worked swiftly to secure his arrest, aided by images from police cameras and shop CCTVs. We managed to do so without harm being caused to the public, given the risk that the robber was allegedly carrying a firearm."

To be charged in court

The man will be charged in court on April 14 under the Armed Offences Act with being in unlawful possession of arms or ammunition in the commission of a scheduled offence.

The offence is punishable with life imprisonment and not fewer than six strokes of the cane.

The woman will be charged in court on the same day with dishonestly receiving stolen property.

The offence is punishable with imprisonment for up to five years, or a fine, or both.

All photos by Jane Zhang except gun photo