Man allegedly steals parcel 1 min after it gets delivered to Tiong Bahru ground floor flat

After a day at work on May 26, Vanessa Chia, 32, a Tiong Bahru resident, returned home ready to unbox a parcel that had been delivered earlier that day.

When she opened the cabinet, which she used to receive deliveries outside her ground floor flat, she was puzzled to find that the parcel was not there.

After checking CCTV footage, she realised that the parcel was swiped from the cabinet in broad daylight just one minute after it was delivered.

What happened

Speaking to Mothership, Chia shared that the parcel was a "combined parcel with several items in it".

Its value was "slightly below S$100".

In videos shared by Chia, a deliveryman could be seen placing a blue parcel into a cabinet outside a residential unit at around 8:33am on May 26.

After dropping off the parcel, the deliveryman snapped a photo and closed the cabinet door.

Man showed up

Just as the deliveryman was about to leave, a man in a salmon-coloured t-shirt, trousers and slippers appeared in the corner.

The man's gaze shifted towards the cabinet, then towards the deliveryman.

As he walked down the corridor, his pace slowed before making an about-turn.

As he walked back past the residential unit, he glanced up and made eye contact with the surveillance camera.

He could then be seen briefly pausing before disappearing completely off-screen.

At 8:34am, the same man approached the unit, casually opened the cabinet and left with a parcel wrapped in blue.

First time in 15 years

Chia said she has been a Tiong Bahru resident for 15 years, and this was the first time something had been stolen from her unit.

She added that she is now paranoid, and avoids delivering parcels to her home address.

When asked whether there were other delivery options, Chia explained that those options are not always available.

"For example, if the parcel exceeds a certain amount, if the size is too big or if certain platforms do not have this option," Chia said.

After learning about what happened, Chia said her neighbours shared similar concerns about the theft as "they always have parcels delivered to their address as well".

Police report lodged

In a bid to raise awareness, Chia took to social media to share about her experience.

Commenters in the Singapore Incidents Facebook group expressed shock and disapproval.

Some suggested the parcel cabinet should be secured with a lock.

Chia lodged a police report on May 26, the same day she discovered that the parcel was missing.

According to Chia, the police informed her in July that they have identified the perpetrator.

Responding to queries from Mothership, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.

Chia had also written in to her Member of Parliament on Jul. 22 in hopes of an expedited resolution.

She received a reply from the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng meet-the-people session email account dated Aug. 4

In the email, Chia was informed that her appeal has been processed and it sought her patience while the police conducted their investigation.

Top image via Vanessa Chia