Singaporean man arrested for armed robbery committed in 1996 outside OCBC branch

60-year-old man arrested in Singapore
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Singapore Police Force said that a 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of his involvement in an armed robbery committed 22 years ago.

On Wednesday, the authority said in a press release that the man was arrested in Malaysia on Monday with the help of the Royal Malaysia Police. He was extradited back to Singapore on Tuesday.

On July 5, 1996, two Singaporean men armed with knives robbed a 43-year-old man who had just withdrawn cash from an OCBC branch near Block 65 Yuan Kuang Road in Jurong. The robbers approached the victim boldly as he was walking to his car and robbed him of about S$44,000. After committing the crime, they fled on a stolen motorcycle.

The police had arrested two men, aged 59 and 65, and they were charged in court. However, a third Singaporean man remained at large for 22 years.

"The arrest and extradition of the suspect after 22 years on the run was made possible through the strong support of the RMP. I would like to thank the RMP for their efforts to locate and arrest the suspect," Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Julian Chee, Deputy Commander of Jurong Police Division, said.

"Through good partnership with foreign law enforcement agencies, the police will persevere and ensure that criminals are brought back to face justice regardless how long it takes," he added.

On Thursday, the man, who is believed to be the third suspect, will be charged in court. If convicted of armed robbery with common intention, the suspect may be sentenced to up to 14 years of jail and face up to 12 strokes of the cane.

This article was first published on March 8, 2018
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