Bump and steal: 5 Filipinos arrested for allegedly stealing over $155k from man in Orchard

A total of five Filipinos were arrested on Friday (Sept 25) for their alleged involvement in a case of theft.

Police said in a news release on Saturday morning that the incident happened at about 1.40pm at the underpass near Tang Plaza in Orchard.

According to the police, the male victim had just exchanged currency from a nearby money changer when he was bumped into by a few unknown persons at the foot of an escalator.

The victim later discovered that his haversack had been unzipped and cash amounting to about $155,600 was missing.

Officers from Tanglin Police Division established the identities of the quintet — a male Filipino national and four female Filipino nations, aged between 31 and 57 — through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from closed-circuit television (CCTV) and police cameras.

They were arrested on the same day, and cash amounting to about $152,800 was recovered and seized as case exhibits.

The five Filipino nationals will be charged in court on Saturday with the offence of theft with common intention.

If found guilty of the said offence, they could each face jail of up to three years, a fine, or both.

The police warned would-be perpetrators that they will not tolerate such brazen acts of crime and will spare no effort to apprehend such offenders and deal with them in accordance with the law.

Members of the public who encounter such cases are advised to remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for police assistance as soon as possible.

9月25日（星期五），共有五名菲律宾人因涉嫌参与一起盗窃案而被捕。

警方周六上午发布新闻稿称，事件发生在下午1点40分左右，地点位于乌节路唐人广场附近的地下通道。

据警方称，这名男性受害者刚从附近的货币兑换处兑换完货币，就在自动扶梯底部被几个陌生人撞了一下。

受害者后来发现他的背包拉链被拉开了，里面大约 155,600 美元的现金不翼而飞。

唐林警局的警员通过后续调查，并借助闭路电视和警用摄像机的图像，确定了五名嫌疑人的身份——一名菲律宾籍男子和四名菲律宾籍女子，年龄在 31 岁至 57 岁之间。

他们当天就被逮捕，警方缴获了约 152,800 美元现金作为案件证据。

这五名菲律宾公民将于周六在法庭上被控犯有共同盗窃罪。

如果被判犯有上述罪行，他们每人可能面临最高三年监禁、罚款或两者并罚。

警方警告潜在的犯罪分子，他们绝不容忍这种明目张胆的犯罪行为，并将不遗余力地逮捕这些罪犯，并依法予以惩处。

建议公众如遇此类案件，应保持冷静，注意犯罪嫌疑人的外貌和特征，并尽快报警求助。