Police have arrested two male youths aged 16 and 19 years old who are believed to be responsible for robbing a 12 year-old boy of his handphone on 21 April 2010 . Both suspects are also believed to be involved in several cases of theft from persons in the Hougang Estate.

On 21 April 2010 at about 12.30pm , a 12 year-old boy was returning home from school when he was confronted by an unknown youth inside the lift of his block at Hougang Central. The suspect repeatedly demanded for the victim's handphone and when the victim refused, he threatened to beat victim up. Out of fear, the victim handed over his handphone valued at about $200/-. The suspect then fled the scene.

Upon being notified, Police officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division responded swiftly to the scene and managed to retrieve CCTV footage which captured the suspect. However, the footage did not afford a good view of the suspect’s face as his face was well-camouflaged by his cap. Nonetheless, the officers did not give up and continued with follow-up investigations. Their efforts and hard work paid off when the officers finally managed to establish the identity of the 16 year-old youth suspect through good investigative work.

On 2 June 2010 at about 3.30 pm , the suspect was arrested at the void deck of Block 313 Hougang. Following his arrest, it was ascertained that he had another accomplice. On the same day at about 4.45 pm , the said accomplice, aged 19 years old was swiftly arrested in the vicinity of Hougang Central. Upon his arrest, the victim’s handphone was also successfully recovered. Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo is believed to be involved in a series of theft from persons in the vicinity of Hougang estate and at least two handphones which are believed to have been stolen have since been recovered.

The two suspects will be charged in Court on 4 June 2010 for the offence of Robbery with Common Intention under Section 392 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of 14 years imprisonment.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) of Police Hsu Sin Yun, commended his officers for their efforts and meticulous investigative work which led to the arrest of the two suspects. He said, “My officers have been working tirelessly on this case. I'm glad that their perseverance has paid off and the neighbourhood is a safer place as a result of their efforts”. DAC Hsu would also like to take this opportunity to advise members of the public to be wary of their surroundings. When confronted, members of the public should remain calm, take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator(s) and call for the Police as soon as possible.