Robberies on the rise this year
BEFORE the sun had risen, two robbery attacks - each carried out by
more than one person - had taken place early on Wednesday.
In an earlier incident on Tuesday evening, two men robbed another
man as the sun was starting to set that day.
Occurring within a span of 12 hours, the three incidents add to the
statistics pointing to what seems like a rise in such crimes this
year.
There were 744 robberies in the first nine months of this year, up
from 705 for the same period last year, according to the
police.
In about four out of every 10 cases in the first nine months of
this year, the robbers hurt their victims.
Two of the three recent cases involved hurt as well, while the
third incident involved four robbers, two of whom carried
penknives.
In all, the victims in the three attacks were robbed of some $3,600
in cash, valuables and other items.
On Wednesday, at about 2.45am, two men followed a teenager into a
lift in Block 606, Jurong West Street 65.
They attacked and robbed him of a cellphone worth $250 and a wallet
containing $5.
The duo fled when the lift doors opened on one of the upper floors
of the block where the victim, a sales assistant, lived.
The victim, who suffered facial injuries, was later taken to the
National University Hospital for outpatient treatment.
The second robbery that morning took place at around 4am - about 90
minutes later - in an open carpark near the Bukit Timah Shopping
Centre.
A motorist was getting out of his car there when four men
approached him. Two threatened him with penknives and demanded his
valuables.
The victim, an odd-job worker in his 30s, handed over some $400,
after which all four robbers fled in different directions.
In Tuesday's incident, a self-employed man in his late 40s was
approached by two men as he was walking along Jelapang Road at
around 6pm.
They attacked him and snatched a gold necklace with a pendant,
worth about $3,000, from him before they fled. He suffered a slight
cut on his elbow in the struggle.
Police are appealing to anyone with information on these three
cases to contact them on 1800-255-0000.
Robbers who hurt their victims can be jailed between five and 20
years and caned at least 12 times.
People can protect themselves by not having a lot of cash and
valuables on them.
If they are walking alone late at night or in secluded areas, they
should get a friend or relative to accompany them.
They should also be aware of their surroundings at all times, said
police spokesman Lim Tung Li.
