A 33-year old Chinese man who has been on the run since 2008 was arrested on 9 February 2009 at about 4.15 a.m. for a series of Cheating offences island-wide following a stakeout.

From April 2008 till January 2009, the culprit had been preying on unsuspecting tenants who were in search of rental units. The culprit would collect advance rental payments of up to 6 months from the victims and thereafter remained uncontactable. The culprit was elusive as he had no fixed place of abode, was unemployed and had been skipping hotels frequently.

Tanglin Police Division set up a task force comprising officers from various units to bring the culprit to justice. On 9 February 2009 , acting on information received, officers from the Tanglin Police Division traced the culprit to a hotel in the Serangoon Road area and arrested him in a stake out.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the culprit is believed to be responsible for more than 50 cases of Cheating committed island-wide. The total amount cheated is believed to be more than $100,000/-. The victims are mainly Permanent Residents and foreigners looking for rental units.

The culprit will be produced in Court 26 on 10 February 2009 for offence of Cheating. The offence carries punishment of imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Commander of Tanglin Police Division, Superintendent Paul Lim, commended his officers for their team work, alertness and tenacity that resulted in the arrest of the serial offender. He stressed that Police will not spare any efforts to track down offenders inclined to committing crime.

Police would like to advise the public to exercise due diligence when paying advance rental payments, especially when the demands are not in accordance with market norms. The public should also verify the ownership of the property prior to entering the tenancy contract or making the deposit or advance payment.