SINGAPORE: The police arrested two men and a teenager on Saturday (Nov 18) for their suspected involvement in a case of conspiracy to commit robbery.

The victim, a 33-year-old man, had received an offer from a stranger on Telegram to trade crypto tokens for cash, the police said in news release on Sunday. Following the stranger’s instructions, the victim met a 16-year-old male teenager at Punggol Field to hand over S$81,000 in cash.

But while counting the money, the teenager allegedly grabbed the bag containing the cash and fled. The victim gave chase and stopped the teenager, who took out a kitchen knife but then dropped it. The teen was then detained with the help of two men and one woman, and arrested by police. The money was fully recovered.

Following ground enquiries and with the aid of police cameras, police officers established the identities of two other men who were believed to be involved in the case. This led to the arrest of a 33-year-old man near Circuit Road and a 27-year-old man along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9 later that day.

The 33-year-old man and 16-year-old boy will be charged in court on Monday with conspiracy to commit robbery. Investigations against the 27-year-old man are ongoing.

“Members of the public are advised not to carry large amounts of cash with them in public,” said the police.

“When confronted in a robbery, members of the public should remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for the police as soon as possible”.