A 38-year-old male Singapore permanent resident was charged in court on Jul. 17, 2023, with attempted robbery, which took place on the morning of Jul. 15 at Nice minimart located along Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

In a Jul. 17 press release, the Singapore Police Force confirmed they were alerted to the case on Saturday at around 8:10am.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man, Mahmoud Abdeltawwab Riad Abdelhak, who was armed with a knife at the time, had allegedly attempted to rob the victim who was manning the minimart alone while in a dress.

However, he left the minimart empty-handed after the victim shouted for assistance.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and CCTV footage, officers from the Tanglin Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him within five hours of the report.

A black long sleeve dress, headscarves, and arm sleeves were seized as case exhibits.

If convicted, the man could face an imprisonment term of not less than two years and not more than seven years, and at least six strokes of cane.

At the end of the press release, the police emphasised that they will spare no effort to arrest those who commit violent crimes.

The police also reminded members of the public to remain calm, take note of the physical appearance, as well as distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for the police as soon as they can when confronted with a robbery.

Top images via Singapore Police Force