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A 48-year-old man was sentenced to jail for one year, six months, and two weeks after he used the keys he found to enter a flat in Punggol to steal close to S$10,000 in cash and valuables.

The bizarre theft story was reported by Shin Min Daily News.

Keys found in pouch

According to the Chinese media, the man found a pouch containing keys to a flat on May 6, 2022.

The keys belonged to a 30-year-old woman, who resided in a Punggol flat with her husband.

She had apparently dropped her pouch and keys while on her way out in the morning.

The accused picked up the pouch and keys and found a home address written on the keys.

He then proceeded to the flat -- but not with the intention of returning the belongings to the rightful owner.

Removed CCTV camera

Shin Min reported that the man saw a closed-circuit television camera outside the unit and dismantled it.

After entering the flat using the keys he found, he grabbed S$9,796 worth of cash and valuables.

He left the unit just 17 minutes later.

In all, he took 26 pieces of jewellery, a laptop, as well as the closed circuit camera.

Caught on police cameras

The woman returned home at night to discover that her home had been burgled.

She made a police report immediately.

However, it was reported that despite the lack of CCTV footage from the home, the man's actions were uncovered as he was caught on police cameras.

The man was arrested the next day.

Committed more than one crime that day

Investigations also revealed that the man had committed another crime that day.

Prior to entering the flat, he had stolen a wallet from a man near the bicycle parking area at Punggol Waterway Point.

Sentenced

The accused was sentenced on Nov. 23.

During his mitigation plea in court, the man, who is married with a child, broke down and said he "could not hold on anymore" and that he was in financial difficulty due to the pandemic.

He had filed for bankruptcy.

Police managed to retrieve a majority of the jewellery stolen from the accused's home and at a nearby pawn shop.

But the S$55 CCTV camera was nowhere to be found, the Chinese press added.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News