Singapore police have arrested three Chinese nationals after they allegedly robbed a woman and locked her and her child on the balcony of a hotel room at Marina Bay Sands on Monday.
According to a statement issued Tuesday, the incident was related to a currency exchange scam after the woman, 45, was contacted through a messaging platform. She had agreed to provide SG$50,000 in cash which would then be deposited into her e-wallet.
After meeting with a man in the vicinity of MBS on Bayfront Avenue, she and her child were brought to a hotel room on the premise that the transaction would be completed, however a second man was waiting in the bathroom and when she produced the cash, one of them restrained her and demanded she hand over the money.
The woman and her child were then locked on the balcony. Police said the two sustained some minor injuries as a result of the incident.
After later confirming the suspects’ identities during follow-up investigations, police found that they had boarded a flight from Singapore’s Changi Airport to Shanghai. The plane was called back to the gate and three men aged between 29 and 34 were arrested. SG$50,000 in cash was recovered and seized.
Police said the men will be charged with the offence of robbery with hurt and could face a jail term of between five and 20 years – as well as up to 12 strokes of the cane – if convicted.
“Members of the public are … advised to exercise caution when engaging in currency exchange arrangements with unknown parties, particularly those conducted through social media or messaging platforms, and to always use licensed money changers for such transactions,” police said.
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