2 teens, aged 15 & 17, arrested after S$2,100 cash & 290 cigarette packs stolen from Jalan Bukit Merah minimart

Two teenagers were arrested for housebreaking and theft on Oct. 19.

The police said in a news release that they were notified around 7:15am that day about a case of housebreaking and theft at a minimart located along Jalan Bukit Merah.

About S$2,100 in cash and 290 packets of cigarettes valued at about S$3,000 were reported stolen.

Through ground enquiries and images from police cameras and CCTVs, officers identified the two teens and arrested them within 10 hours of the report.

S$462 in cash and 203 packets of cigarettes were seized.

The two will be charged in court on Oct. 21 with the offence of housebreaking and theft with common intention under Section 451 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871.

If found guilty, they could receive a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police also advised property owners to take precautions and adopt crime prevention measures, such as:

1. Securing all doors, roller shutters, windows and other openings with good-quality grills and closed-shackle padlocks when leaving premises unattended.
2. Refraining from keeping large sums of cash and valuables in the premises.
3. Installing a burglar alarm, motion sensor light, and/or a CCTV to cover the access points to the premises, and ensuring that the devices are kept in good working condition.