Four men aged 17 to 19 were arrested on suspicion of being involved in two attempted robberies in which they targeted victims trying to sell costly timepieces.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release on Thursday, May 29, that they received a call for assistance at Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3 at about 1.44 pm on Wednesday, May 29, after two of the teens allegedly tried to rob a victim.
SPF stated that the victim, who had placed an expensive watch for sale on Carousell, had planned to meet the two teenagers to sell it. However, when the victim arrived, the two adolescents, one of them was armed with a knife, attempted to cover the victim's head with a plastic bag.
However, the victim managed to escape and call the police.
The police identified and arrested the two teens later that day. The knife, which had earlier been discarded, was also recovered.
It was later discovered that the two teenagers, along with two others, had done something similar the previous day.
In one case, the victim, who had also put a fancy watch for sale on Carousell, was persuaded to meet a potential bidder in the same HDB building.
The SPF said, "When the victim arrived at the block, he felt suspicious of the circumstances and managed to leave before being robbed."
The two other teens were eventually arrested on Wednesday.
The two teenagers who were engaged in Wednesday's incident will face attempted armed robbery charges in court on Friday.
One of the youths engaged in Tuesday's event will face attempted robbery charges, while the other will be probed for participating in a criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.
If convicted of attempted armed robbery, the teens may be jailed for two to seven years and face at least 12 strokes of the cane.
For attempted robbery, the offence is punishable with imprisonment for two to seven years and at least six strokes of the cane.
The police advised members of the public to be alert and attentive to their surroundings when meeting potential buyers or sellers or making transactions in person, especially when carrying valuables or large sums of cash. They should also avoid secluded places and report anything suspicious to the police immediately.
